They'd kissed plenty of times before.

Kisses when he'd tripped and fallen, kisses when he was sad about his marks at school, kisses when he finished her chores without being asked.

Platonic kisses; never on the lips.

From across the dining hall, Eren watched her scrape the last of the crumbs from her plate, before she turned and headed back his way. Strong figure swaying side to side with every stride, as if in slow motion. Ebony, silken strands flew backwards with her stride, and her slanted, watchful eyes surveyed the room. What had Jean said earlier? "Mikasa Ackerman; she's damn irresistible." Well, that was one time that Horse-face wasn't entirely wrong. Quickly, Eren averted his gaze; it was probably better that she didn't catch him staring. Focusing on his suddenly shaky nerves, he waited for her to take the seat next time him, like he knew she would.

"Eren, c'mon." Her voice was soft as it had been the day he'd met her. It had matured into an elegant tone, with a certain ring of familiarity and comfort. If he could, Eren thought he'd record her voice and listen to it forever.

"Suppertime is over and everyone's cleared out. They're gonna notice if we are't in the bunks soon, so-"

"Mikasa," he faced her, shoving his timidity aside. Determination sparked in his emerald irises, the same drive that held strong when he shifted into a Titan.

"Eren?" Her silvery eyes widened on alert. "You're not about to do something stupid, are you?" Her hushed whisper tickled his cheek, as she leaned to his ear. He could practically feel the hairs on the back of his neck raising. "I know your brawl with Jean earlier set you on edge but I won't let you do something risky." Backing away, stony eyes met his fiercely.

He stared back unrelentingly. Faces inches from each other, taking the same breath, the two were oblivious to the world around them. Mikasa frowned at his famous determined expression, ready to knock some sense into him if need be. Mirroring her, Eren's glare didn't falter as he studied her face, with one thought racing through his mind.

She's irresistible… so why resist?

Suddenly, he softened.

"Eh?" Mikasa cocked her head. Perfect.

Grabbing her jaw with both hands, he surged closer into his childhood friend, his best friend, his comfort. Lips pressed firmly against hers, sucking gently at the baby pink flesh. Their auras intertwined, the cherry blossom that clung to her skin intermingling with his undeniable scent of firewood and linens. Shifting in the old wooden chair, he continued dappling the dumbfounded Mikasa with light, loaded kisses. Subconsciously thumbing at her cheekbone, Eren tilted her closer, leaning back so she was practically falling over him.

Every childhood kiss combined couldn't measure to the utter satisfaction that this single kiss allowed him to indulge.

"Mmph, Mika." He chuckled hoarsely, feeling the feather-light weight of her in his lap. Tiny kisses continued to peck at her lips, and he felt her porcelain fingers exploring the dark tresses of his messy bangs. "I just needed to.. touch you." Another kiss escaped him. "But now I feel like I can't stop."

A sly smirk crossed her swollen lips, but she didn't push him away; never in a million years. Even though her lids were still fallen closed, he could practically feel her rolling her eyes.

"I told you not to do anything stupid."