Warnings: the rare occasion of Armin Arlert cursing :D

Enjoy the chapter!

It is said that funerals are for the dead, so they could be put to a peaceful and tranquil rest.

In fact, however, they are for the living, for they just want to bid a loved one their last farewell.

Eren Jaeger had realized this fact after his mom died.

And now, he sits next to Mikasa, who had experienced the same, terrible thing, and to Armin, who is experiencing it right now. Armin's ocean-blue eyes are tired from all the tears, all the weeping, all the questions he might be asking himself. He is almost like a therapist to Eren, and now he has to be like one for him.

He was once in Armin's place.

And in Armin's grandfather's place was once his mom.

Suddenly, he finds himself back there, eyes failing to search for his father, and watching as she was sent beneath the ground ever so peacefully. He finds himself back in front of her coffin, promising her that he will stay the good, honest person she raised him up to be.

Oh, how he wishes he kept his promise.

Tears fill his eyes once again as he remembers.

Yet, he still pats Armin's shoulder, telling him the same, simple thing his best friend has said to him back then:

"It's going to be alright."

And Armin just nods.

Just like Eren did.

Armin utters a quiet thanks as the keeper lies three full glasses on the bar.

Going to the club together was Eren's idea. Out of the three of them, he has drunken his pain away the most.

To Mikasa, this is an entirely new thing. Unlike Eren and Armin, she has never gone to a club, and neither did she drink a lot of alcohol before. Probably because the alcohol affects her brain, and her brain has been affected enough already.

But for Eren's and Armin's sake, she takes a sip of her drink and…

She likes it.

Due to the fruit and the milk mixed in her cocktail, it tastes sweet and thick, but the bitterness of the poisonous drug compensates it. It is certainly one of the best drinks Mikasa has ever drunk.

When her glass is empty, Eren smiles his one, gorgeous smile at her. "D'you want one more?"

She just nods at him, and after just a moment, a new, full cocktail glass stands before her.

This glass transforms into two, and then three, four, five, until Mikasa can't count anymore. And soon enough, she finds herself dancing in Eren's arms as Armin weaves away into the men's bathroom.

All of the horrible reminders of her dad's funeral have vanished. And when she looks at these emerald-green eyes, it seems those of his mom have, too.

Mikasa Ackerman is a butterfly.

Graceful, breathtaking and one of the sweetest creatures that ever came to this world. She is free, able to spread her wings and fly around the whole room, yet she wants to stay by his side.

Eren can see it in the way she dances close to him, close enough to make their bodies touch. He can see it in the way she draws him even closer.

"You have so much fun?" he asks her.

"I do."

"But you're drunk as fuck, right?"

"Hell yeah. Might aswell have a hangover tomorrow."

Green emeralds look at the galaxy shining in her eyes. For a moment, the only thing they hear is their heartbeat, accompanied by people talking and David Guetta's music blasting in the background.

And then, his lips are tasting hers once again.

After all these months, his lust finally got the best of him, and he can not hold it any longer. For this wonderful, but way too short kiss, he tries his best to taste every part of her cherry blossom lips.

He breaks away and looks at her, crimson flames burning bright on her cheeks so adorably, and he thinks that it's over now, contemplates at how much of a dick he actually is, until…

Now, it's her who is closing the space again. And she does it so well, Eren wonders how she possibly could have never kissed anyone. It is so intense, so absolutely perfect. Soon after she pulls away, he pulls her back in again, his teeth catching her bottom lip at the end of the kiss.

Each kiss, each move of their lips against each other becomes hotter and so much hotter, until they find themselves standing there, drawn so wonderfully close to each other with her graceful hands touching almost every part of him, and his palm caressing her silks of black hair. He is pleading for Mikasa to let his tongue explore her mouth, and finally, she lets him in.

And he just can't believe it.

He can't believe that right now, at this very moment, he is making out with Mikasa fucking Ackerman, the most marvelous woman in this entire universe, his friend whom he has fallen so hardly in love with.

It must be a sweet dream he is in.

And the dream is over just as she hovers her delicate legs on his hips and lets him take her away.

"You okay, guys?" Armin slurs.

The night's fresh air hits Mikasa as they walk outside. What a nice refreshment after a hot summer day, and the club being even worse.

She looks at Eren, the embarrassment from just minutes ago still burning on his cheeks. He looks at her aswell, and bites those lips she'd love to feel on every part of her body so much.

She would love to feel every part of him on her skin. His lips, his tongue, his naked abs, him.

Yes. Eren Jaeger is the right person to steal her virginity.

"Aye," slurs Armin. "You guys about to fuck on the streets now?"

"Nah."

"No."

"You sure, Eren?"

"Yea-up."

"Because that bulge looks pretty interesting."

"Armin!"

"Oh my god, why."

Armin chuckles. "Well, anyways, I'm definitely going to come with you guys."

"Why?"

"I just… don't want to live here anymore for a while. Besides, my college is right between Los Angeles and Trost."

"Hey," Eren says, putting a hand on his friend's back. "It's alright, dude, I completely understand."

"Right, if you want to live with us, that's totally fine. You only have to keep up with Sasha and Connie all the fucking time."

Armin laughs. "Thank you guys."

A moment of silence appears as they walk into their street. For Mikasa, it's a slightly uncomfortable one, for she still thinks about Eren's lips.

Those lips she just craves to kiss once more.

"'Kay," says Armin as they stand at his house. "Guess we gotta say good night now."

"Okay. Good night," she waves at Eren and Armin.

"Nighty, Mikasa."

"'Night, Mika."

As she walks up to her home, she feels Eren's stunning eyes glued on her.

With a vicious headache hammering inside his brain, Eren walks up into the kitchen. He greeds Armin, who is just as hungover, good morning, and brews himself the cup of morning coffee he needs.

Only when he turns around to the table, the coffee in his hand, does he discover a box of condoms lying in the middle.

"What's this, Ar?"

Did he buy those last night, when he was drunk? Eren doesn't remember.

Tired blue eyes look at him. "...Well, it looks like a box of condoms to me."

"Yeah, but why is it here?"

"Well, I thought you and Mikasa might need it while away."

"Wait, what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

"What do I not remember?!"

"You made out with Mikasa."

Eren's eyes widen.

He made out with Mikasa.

He made out with Mikasa.

"I did…. what?"

"Even better, you were about to take her somewhere and have sex with her."

WHAT?

He takes the seat in front of Armin, and sits down. Takes a tiny sip out of his coffee, for he needs a little time to get this in his brain. Inhales a deep breath as he puts the cup back down.

"So, basically, I was about to fuck her."

"Yes."

Wow, Eren. Way to fuck up a friendship.

"...Does she remember, too?"

"I don't know," says Armin. "Maybe."

He hopes dearly she doesn't. It would just ruin all they have even more.

"Anyways, when are we gonna go?"

"Wait," says Eren and checks his phone for messages. "Levi said he's gonna come at 10."

"Okay, well," says Armin and looks at his watch, "it's 9:20, so we better hurry."

Eren gets up.

"Shit, did I really sleep that long?"

Armin gets up either to wash the two cups out.

Both of them hurry to pack their things together, however, Armin is done much earlier. Probably because Eren was thinking too much about his relationship with Mikasa. How he could ever do such a thing to her is beyond him.

Just when he got out of the shower, the doorbell rings.

It's 9:40. Everything is already packed up.

The medicals Mikasa took as every morning will make the headache inside her brain better, yet they will not compensate the terrible hangover she has.

The droplets of water falling on her back are like some kind of massage, however she still feels the pain. And the faint memories of last night still haunt her.

Did she really… try to kiss Eren? Was she really that wasted?

Her love for him is still kept a secret to not put their friendship in danger.

She looks down at her stomach. It is pretty well-toned, abs from years of contemporary dancing have built on it.

When she finally shows them off, how will Eren react?

Will he like them?

Do they even have a chance as a couple? Or does he want her to just be his friend?

"Stop it," Mikasa tells herself. "You're thinking too much into it."

Her name is called from downstairs, and she decides to get out of the shower. Dries her hair and body, and puts on the pair of clothes she prepared for the day.

Coming downstairs, she looks at the small clock standing on a table.

9:51. Perfect timing.

Her mom walks up to her just after she put on her shoes. "Everything ready?"

"Uhhh… I think so," says Mikasa, thinking if she forgot something. "Yeah, everything is ready."

"Okay. All the papers for the hospital in Los Angeles are already sent, so you don't have to worry."

"Thank you, Mom."

They pull each other in for a tight hug. It is really hard for the both of them to let each other go.

"You have grown so much, Mikasa," the older woman says, teary-eyed. "Please, stay safe and live as long as possible, okay?"

"Okay, Mom, I will."

Tears dwell inside Mikasa's eyes aswell, for she misses her mom already.

"Thank you so much for caring about me."

Finally, they tell each other goodbye, and Mikasa grabs her luggage.

When the door is closed and she looks over to Armin's house, she can already see Eren's van parked in front.

"Alright," she says to nobody in particular.

"Time to go."