In the chair by Annie's cot, Hange leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "So Annie…"
Armin crossed his arms as Annie stared back at Hange. She was still tied down to her cot. "Yes, Commander?"
"I want you to tell me everything you know. Titans. History. Titan science. Crystallization. Marley and other places across the ocean. Everything you know."
Annie craned her neck so she could look up at Armin. He made himself step forward so she could see him better. Wordlessly, he held her gaze as he nodded. Then, she pulled her gaze from Armin's and looked back at Hange. "Alright."
"'Alright'?!"
Annie nodded.
Hange slapped her knees. "Ah! Wonderful! I thought I would have to torture you!"
"Don't sound so disappointed, Commander," Armin said quietly.
Hange looked sharply at Armin and laughed. "Armin! What did you say to Annie last night?! Why would she help us now?! I think I trust her even less than I already did and now I'm doubting you too!"
Annie seemed to consider this. She glanced at Armin again, who stared back at her with wide eyes, and then they both looked back to Hange. Armin said, "If she lies to you, or she does something to offend your trust…" Clenching his fists, he said fiercely, "I will consume Annie and then allow you or Eren, or anyone you choose, to consume me in turn! Torture me instead, if you want! I will submit to it! Please, trust us!"
Hange considered his words for a moment and then bowed her head once. "Alright. I will choose to believe you." She turned to Annie again. "I'm listening Miss Leonhart."
"Well, the first thing I should tell you…" Annie swallowed. "I'm sorry that Reiner and I killed Sonny and Bean. But you should know something about titans. They all start out as humans, just like you and me, before they become that way. People in Marley make Titans and send them here. And so, I told myself I was being merciful when I ended their lives, though that's not why Reiner asked me to do it…"
"Where were you two?" Levi asked as Connie and Sasha jogged back out to the practice field. Mikasa, Jean, Floch and the fifteen recruits were all there already, milling around.
"We both, um, had to take a shit, sir!" Connie announced. A few of the recruits laughed at this.
Levi made a "tsk" sound. "Alright, well now that you're done shitting, I want you both to lead the training for the recruits. Archery today. Break for lunch at noon."
"Yes, sir," Sasha said. The recruits, Sasha, and Connie headed out to an equipment shed and soon set up some archery targets. Levi watched this progression from where he stood. Meanwhile, Mikasa stood off on her own, staring at the mouth of Annie's tent, which was probably a hundred paces away from her across the field. Jean and Floch were speaking quietly to one another outside of Mikasa's earshot.
"Alright," Levi said suddenly, turning away from the archery practice. "Mikasa, I give you leave to write your letter to Zackley. Come back here once you're done. I hope to leave with it before dinner. I feel certain Eren will have delivered his to me by then too."
"Yes sir," Mikasa said, pulling her gaze from the tent. Then, she turned and walked back toward the barracks.
"Jean and Floch… Start by mopping the halls of the barracks, dining hall and kitchen. Meet me back here by midday."
"Yes sir," Jean said immediately.
Floch hesitated, said, "Yes, sir," and then slowly followed Jean back toward the barracks as well.
Eren had slept fitfully for about four hours until he finally allowed himself to get out of bed again. Sleeping when the sun was shining brightly through his window was nearly impossible.
Though he had a headache and he was very hungry, he sat down to write his letter to Zackley. But what was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to convince Zackley that he loved Mikasa? Was he supposed to present some sort of benefit to the Survey Corps?
After several drafts, he decided simply to be honest but also to the point. As the ink dried, he pulled his uniform on again, and then rolled his letter up and hurried out to the practice field. He looked for Mikasa and immediately found her amongst Levi and the others. It looked like they were cleaning up training for the morning. He walked a few paced out toward them but then stopped and waited. They were walking as a group back toward headquarters.
When Levi reached Eren, he took the scrolled up paper from him. "Thank you. I hope it is written more eloquently than you speak."
"Thank you, Captain."
Levi gave a small nod. "You're not supposed to relieve Armin anymore. Come to the dining hall instead for lunch."
Eren bowed his head slightly as Levi walked away. Connie and Sasha both gave Eren a smile as they walked by with the recruits. Jean completely ignored him. And then Mikasa followed last amongst the group.
"Armin and Commander Hange are still in the tent with Annie," Mikasa said.
"Right. Levi said I'm supposed to eat lunch now instead of relieve Armin."
She gave him a polite smile and he made himself smile back. Why did he feel so shy around her all of a sudden? Eren watched her out of the corner of his eye as they walked toward the dining hall together. "I love you," he whispered.
She looked quickly over at him. "I love you too." She took her hand in his, squeezed it for a moment and, as they entered the dining hall, she let go.
"Well," Hange said, leaning back in her chair. "That's enough for me. I think we need to go have lunch."
Armin was sitting on the grass in the tent. He'd been listening Annie speak for hours about Marley and Warriors and how titans are made… "Alright." He watched now as Annie closed her eyes as though she were trying to fall back asleep.
"Armin, untie her," Hange said.
Armin got to his feet and said, "Yes, Ma'am," as he began searching for a knotted end to the ropes.
"Really?" Annie breathed.
"Yes, I'm going to have to bring you back to the dining hall. We'll announce that you're rejoining our ranks. Armin?" He felt Hange's gaze on his back so he straightened up at turned to face her. "Despite falling asleep on the job, I am assigning you to keep a twenty-four hour watch on Annie until I say otherwise. She is not allowed to leave your sight. Understand?"
"Uh…" He glanced to Annie. She was staring at the roof of the tent. "Okay."
"If she does anything amiss, you are to consume her. Got it?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
Then, once Armin had untied Annie, he helped her to her feet. Hange walked ahead toward headquarters.
"I'm a bit dizzy… from looking sideways, I think," Annie muttered as Armin held her arm.
"It might be because you haven't walked in nearly a year."
"Mm. Maybe."
By the time they made it to the doorway of the dining hall, the room had fallen silent. Hange was standing next to Levi near the doorway to the kitchen.
Armin was surprised when Annie pulled her arm away from his grasp. She exchanged a small glance with him and then stared ahead at Hange.
Annie snapped to attention, curling her right arm up over her chest. She blinked tears from her eyes. "Please!" Armin glanced at Eren and Mikasa, who stared back at Annie, just like everyone else was. Armin was surprised that Eren didn't look angry, only curious. Mikasa, however, looked like she was about to stand up. Her fists were clenched together on the table. Annie announced, "I pledge my heart to you! I beg of you! Let me die a soldier! The Female Titan must remain in Paradis!"
And to Armin's surprise, Hange also raised her arm up over her chest, pledging her own heart. "I accept you back into our ranks, Annie Leonhart. Give us your heart!"
"Have a seat amongst your comrades, Annie Leonhart," Levi said softly, though the whole hall heard him. She didn't move.
Then, Mikasa did stand. As did Connie and Jean. Eren and Sasha stared at Annie but didn't move.
"Please!" Annie said. "Allow me only to serve! I'm not worthy to sit amongst you!"
Hange paused for a moment, and exchanged a glance with Levi. Then she bowed her head for a moment. "Ah, well in that case, the kitchen is this way." She pointed to the doorway.
Armin followed Annie through the doorway to the kitchen where a couple of recruits were still busy getting lunch together.
The next evening, Levi still hadn't returned from visiting Zackley.
Eren knew he should be getting ready for bed but he was too busy pacing back and forth across his bedroom. Levi had left immediately after lunch yesterday. Why wasn't he back yet?
His thoughts turned to Armin, who was assigned around-the-clock as guard for Annie. Eren knew he should volunteer to be her guard instead as he possessed the Coordinate… or at least to split the time with him. But Hange had made the choice. She just as easily could have assigned him. And anyway, he didn't want to be around Annie. He still didn't trust her. He didn't know if he ever would again.
A knock sounded at Eren's door. He was immediately nervous—he could tell who it was just by the sound. "Captain," Eren breathed as he swung his door open. Levi held a hatbox by its strings in one hand and a scrolled paper in the other.
"Your answer." Levi handed Eren the rolled up piece of paper.
"Thank you."
"And… I bought a few things while I was inside wall Sina. Consider them wedding gifts from me." Levi handed Eren the box. It was wrapped in brown paper and tied with butcher's string. "Since you won't be granted leave again before the weekend recon at the ocean, and since Mikasa asked me to walk her down the aisle, I thought it fitting—"
A wedding gift?! "He granted permission?!"
Levi stared for a moment before simply nodding once. A smile played at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh my God," Eren whispered. A moment of fear shivered through him but then he was overcome with joy. Without thinking, he threw his arms around Levi. "Thank you Levi!"
Levi stood stiffly while he was hugged and belatedly, he patted Eren a few times on the back. "I wish you both happiness from my heart."
Eren released him and nodded. "Thank you, sir."
"You should give that box to Mikasa to open. Probably tomorrow at the latest."
At the latest? Did that mean that today was still an option? "Yes, sir."
Levi turned and slowly, he walked away. Once Levi quietly closed his own bedroom door behind himself, Eren glanced the other way down the hall and then hurried down past Levi's room. He took the stairs two at a time up to the women's barracks.
Knocking once at Mikasa's door, he then swung it open without waiting for a response. Mikasa stood facing her bed in her shirt and panties. Clearly she was in the middle of getting ready for bed. Turning, she glanced down at the scroll and brown wrapped package in Eren's hands and then stared at Eren as he quietly closed the door behind himself.
"Mikasa…" he started. She watched his face closely. This somehow helped him to relax a little. "Levi just came back—Zackley gave us permission."
Eren watched as Mikasa's cheeks became bright pink but otherwise her face didn't change. Dropping down on the edge of her bed, she stared down at the floor for a moment. Finally, she glanced up at Eren again. "Really?"
"Yes." He nodded as he sat down next to her. Handing her the box from Levi, he unfurled the paper from Zackley. It wasn't a letter. Rather, it was an official looking document: a marriage license, already signed by Zackley. Levi signed on the line labelled "Witness." There were two more blank lines on the document. One had "Eren Yeager" clearly written under it. The other had "Mikasa Ackerman."
"I thought…" Eren tried to hide his surprise. Of course they would need a marriage license. He felt stupid for not having realized this sooner. "If we sign this…" He glanced over at Mikasa's hands as she picked at the brown string tied around the box on her lap. "We'll be legally married." It was quiet for a moment as they both held very still. Then, he watched as she set the package next to herself on the bed and stood. Gently pulling the paper from Eren's hands, she walked to her desk and pulled a pen out from the drawer. Bending gracefully, she signed her name on her line. And as she turned and faced Eren again, she wordlessly held the pen out to him.
He knew, even though he didn't actually need to fight anyone, that if he bit his hand right now he'd turn into the Attack Titan.
Taking the pen, he took a small step forward and Mikasa sat down on the bed again. He watched his hand sign his name as though it belonged to another body.
Straightening up, he dropped the pen as he stared down at Mikasa's signature. Mikasa Ackerman. She was Mikasa Yeager now that she signed that line. This would be the last time she signed her maiden name."We're married."
"Thank you, Eren."
Eren couldn't help it when he laughed. He turned to face her. "I love you, Mikasa."
"Mm. And I love you."
As he sat down next to her on the bed again, he kissed the corner of her left eye where a tear was beginning to fall.
"What does it feel like when you're married?" she whispered. "I don't feel any differently."
"It'll feel different in a couple of days maybe. Once everyone knows." He pressed a kiss to her lips.
"Mm."
"Now that we have… well, the marriage license… I'll ask Hange to do a sort of ceremony for us this weekend."
"I asked Levi to walk me…"
"I know."
"What is in this box? Is this from Zackley too?"
"Uh, no. It's from Levi. He said it was a wedding present…"
Carefully, she began to unwrap the brown box. Lifting her heels up to balance the box on her knees, she slid the lid off. On top of a small stack inside the box, there were two gold wedding bands wrapped in a white strip of cloth. Mikasa gingerly unwrapped the rings and held them up to the nearest candlelight. They glinted as she handed the strip and rings to Eren, who examined in the candlelight too. They were plain, but clearly solid gold.
Mikasa stood and set the box down next to Eren on the bed. Underneath where the cloth had sat, a white veil was neatly wrapped around itself. And underneath this, it seemed there were some white clothes—a white dress? It was also neatly folded.
"Take them out," Eren said, peering into the box. But Mikasa quickly slid the lid back on.
"You can't see them. It's bad luck." She gently placed the box on her desk next to the marriage license. With her back still turned, Eren watched as she wiped her eyes.
"Bad luck?" Eren said, smirking. He stood up next to her. "Is it bad luck for me to be here with you right now?"
"That was very kind of Levi. I didn't think he approved…"
"Mm. Yeah, but Levi is Levi." Wrapping an arm around her, Eren pulled her back against himself. She let herself be pulled and he kissed her neck.
"Eren…"
He laughed softly. "Did you want to wait until it's more official?"
She didn't answer but she also didn't pull away. Eren let his arm fall from her waist as he took a step back from her. She did want to wait, didn't she? He was surprised but not offended. "It's already Wednesday. We are supposed to go to the ocean again on Friday. I can wait another day and a half until we're married… well, until everyone knows that we're married."
Mikasa smiled at him. "I'm not used to you being patient."
"Only for you, Mikasa." He couldn't help but smile at her as she stared back at him with teary eyes. Again, he realized that Mikasa was so much more than what "wife" seemed to be to other people. She was him and he was her and neither was whole without the other.
Suddenly, Mikasa threw her arms around him and kissed him hard enough that he was thrown off balance. Luckily, he stumbled backward onto the bed instead of the floor.
"Sorry," she whispered as she began to unbutton his shirt. Oh right, she wasn't wearing her trousers. Eren lost his tenuous hold on control and became as wild as her. His wife wanted him… badly enough to knock him off his feet. He wasn't about to stop her. Never again would they have to worry about anyone else's rules in regards to the other. Their only rules between them would be the rules they set on themselves.
He returned her kisses hungrily, sucking her bottom lip when she pulled at his hair. She pushed him and so he rolled with her and suddenly found himself on top of her. Not wanting to pull a button off of her shirt again, he took a deep breath and unbuttoned each button carefully, staring down at her breasts as he slowly exposed them. Mikasa was shivering.
"Mikasa…" He leaned closer to her ear and kissed the skin just below her earlobe. "God, you're mine! How could I ever be so lucky?!" He kissed her neck as she unbuckled his belt and unfastened his trousers.
"Yes and you are mine now, Eren."
"Yes," he said, shaking his head. He still didn't want to burden her with himself. He'd die in a few years and she would be left without him. There was no way around it. But it was too late. They were as legally married as any other married couple in Paradis now. "Yes… I am yours…"
He pushed her hair away from her face and as he kneaded one of her breasts in his hand, he kissed her deeply. Then, he kissed her cheek, and then her neck, and down and down… he sucked on one of her nipples as he pushed her panties to the side and slid his finger into her.
"Please, Eren…" she whispered as he lay his face against her breasts. He was still busy rediscovering her with his fingers.
"Don't rush it, Mikasa," he scolded in a playful tone. He nuzzled his cheek against her breast. God, she smelled good!
She pulled her panties off one leg and then the other, forcing him to temporarily pause in playing with her. As she pulled them off, Eren leaned up so she would have more room. And because every candle in the room was lit, he couldn't help it when he saw a full view of her.
"Oh fuck, Mikasa," Eren said quietly.
"Eren," she said, and started to pull her shirt closed.
"No, oh! Don't…" He glanced up to her face and saw she was blushing. "Don't be embarrassed!" He pressed a kiss against her lips. "I wish I could have been more patient the first times we did this, but I never stopped for long enough to really look at you. You have to know I love seeing you like this, don't you? I could look at you forever! You're perfect!"
She still looked embarrassed as she squeezed her eyes shut. "But, Eren," she said again.
While her eyes were still closed, he leaned closer so he could whisper to her. "I went down on you before. You taste like honey down there. Can I do it again?"
Mikasa let out a nervous laugh. "That's not true."
"I want to taste you again." Without waiting for her response, he slowly slid his chest against hers, letting his hands run down her thighs until he was sitting back on his shins again. Gently, he parted her thighs further apart as he looked down at her. Glancing up to her face, he realized she had opened her eyes again. He was surprised that she no longer seemed overcome with embarrassment. Rather, she was staring at his bare chest. She gazed over his shoulders, over his abdomen, down to his open trousers...
He remembered the first time he went down on her—during their first time together on the beach. And he'd done it to her again in the kitchen… She really had tasted kind of sweet both times. He knew there was no way he would convince her of this so he stopped trying.
As he let his gaze fall down her chest too, he realized they'd never let themselves have this much time even when they'd been at home for those two days. Laying together had felt wrong somehow until this moment. But now, there was no more need to hide, really.
Gently pulling her apart with his thumbs, he bent down and tasted her again.
"Oh. Eren, please…"
He knew what she wanted, but he wanted to make her come first.
"Please, Eren—" she begged again. Just hearing her say his name like that nearly made him come.
"Oh, Mikasa," he moaned, resting his forehead on her thigh for a moment as he tried to calm himself. She reached down and ran her hand over his hair a few times. Instead of helping him calm down, this only turned him on more.
And without deciding to, he moved up her body again and pulled one of her nipples into his mouth as he thrust himself into her.
Mikasa tugged where her hands were still threaded into his hair. As he slowly pushed into her again, she pushed her own hips against his. And again, and again. He stayed just as painfully slowly as at the start.
Eren felt tears fall from his eyes but Mikasa's small hand wiped them from his cheeks. She kissed him lovingly, and she ran her hands down his back as though comforting him even though tears brimmed her eyes too. There were so many things he wanted to say… that he loved her more than he could have ever imagined loving another person… he was so sorry he never realized his feelings until now when it was nearly too late… he was sorry he couldn't be as perfect for her as she was for him…
But instead of speaking, he tried to tell her this with his touch. He cradled her and rubbed her and glided his fingers over her until her nipples made hardened peaks.
And as he clung to her, he felt her come hard around him. He kissed her deeply, slowly… and then he came hard into her, thrusting hard into her only a couple of times. He let himself fully empty into her before he dropped down onto the bed without pulling out of her. They held each other for a long time then. Eren couldn't stop running his hands over Mikasa's bare skin. Meanwhile, she nuzzled her face further into his shoulder and snuggled into him as though he were the only source of warmth or safety in the world.
A while later, after the bright glimmering of the candles had faded to a warm glow, he pulled the blankets and sheets up over her and himself, Mikasa quickly fell asleep with her head tucked into his shoulder. He stayed up for a little while longer, breathing in the scent of her hair, watching the candles snuff themselves out in their own wax, listening to owls complain in the night air, and soon he fell asleep too.
