Eren waited anxiously with his sister for Mary to arrive. They had decided to meet in the park. It was quiet, peaceful, and somewhat secluded. There was also a really good ice cream stand halfway though. Eren had suggested that they ask Mary some of their questions after a stroll through the park but Mikasa disagreed. She said it was too soon in Mary's visit and that they should wait until another day. So today the plan was simply to get her to relax and have some fun.
Mikasa sighed next to him, she had already given up on trying to calm him down and have him sit on the bench next to her. He wasn't much better earlier that morning, and it certainly hadn't gone unnoticed by Levi. Levi was worried about him but wished him well, sending him off with the memory of warm and soft lips on his. Levi decided to hang out with Hanji while waiting for Eren, which was good since Hanji had been threatening on coming over herself to say hello. Levi had also claimed he was going to get his spare key back from her as well, although Eren seriously doubted he would succeed. The eccentric woman probably had a whole stash of copies, keeping her out was just not going to happen.
Eren finally sat down on the bench with his sister, letting out a gusty sigh as he did. Mikasa wrapped an arm around him without a word. Eren let himself relax into her warmth.
"It's been a while since just me and you hung out, hasn't it?" There was a pause and then Mikasa replied.
"Yea, it has. I guess we've been pretty busy lately. Do you want a sibling bonding time, brother?"
Eren chuckled, "Maybe not as fancy as a bonding time. But a movie sounds good. Maybe I'll grab Sasha the morning of and bake some desserts…." He mused aloud. "Hey 'Kasa, have you made any more friends? Besides your weights and muscles of course."
Mikasa lightly punched him in the arm and scoffed. "As a matter of fact I have. Sort of. Remember those girls you invited to the dinner? Ymir and Krista?"
Eren nodded. He had been tired that evening and hadn't really spoken to them after being the one to invite them. He felt guilty about it afterwards but forgot about it in the recent events. Eren was pulled out of his thoughts by his sister.
"Well Ymir is interested in going to the gym but doesn't really know what to do, she has told me that she runs a couple times a week. She is also trying to convince her girlfriend as well. I promised to give them a tour of the place, hook them up with some people, and coach them myself, although I am thinking Krista may enjoy Yoga more than the machines…"
"That's really generous of you, are you sure you have enough time?" Eren asked.
"Probably. It isn't going to be very time consuming since I spend most of my time there anyways."
Eren scoffed, "That's very true. If I didn't know better I would think you lived there." Eren heard her draw a breath to reply but was interrupted.
"It's so nice to see you two getting along so well!" Mary exclaimed from behind them. Eren felt Mikasa jump and was shocked she hadn't seen her coming. Mikasa usually had really good instincts and was constantly aware of her surroundings.
They stood and turned to face Mary.
"Mom!" Mikasa said warmly and moved towards her, Eren assumed, for a hug. He swallowed nervously and held out a hand in front of him, hoping she would get the hint.
"Hey, Mary." He attempted to say nicely. There was a slight pause and then a petite hand gently grasped his.
"Hello, Eren. You look really well, I hope college is going good for you?"
Eren nodded in response and withdrew his hand.
"Any luck with girlfriends yet?" She continued. Mikasa choked.
"Ah…. No…" Eren slowly replied, not wanting to discover her opinion on his sexuality.
"Oh well! Don't worry, you'll find someone for you someday."
There was another awkward pause until Mikasa threw and arm over his shoulders and exclaimed, "Let's walk!"
They strolled down the path and the farther they walked, the more comfortable they got. Mikasa began talking about her major and all the professors she was making connections with. Then she spoke about a potential internship at a local gym that she was thinking of applying for.
"Hey! You never told me about that!" Eren exclaimed, gently elbowing her in the side. "I would say to go for it, what's the harm? That you don't get picked? You definitely won't get that internship if you don't apply."
Mikasa hummed.
"I agree with Eren, sweetheart. I would also say to apply for a bunch of different internships so you have a choice of selection, even if you don't get the one you can accept it anyways and gain experience."
There was a pause in their conversation.
"Hey, Mikasa, are we close to that ice cream stand yet? It's kinda hot out."
He heard Mary exclaim, "Ice cream?"
Mikasa giggled at her over-enthusiasm and then gasped suddenly.
"Mom!" She nearly shouted, halting their walk, "I almost forgot! How is your pregnancy?"
Eren heard a hitch in Mary's breathing as she replied,
"Well enough, dear. Nothings showing yet, but I suppose I am having cravings…"
It seemed like Mary didn't really want to talk about, probably due to who the father is. He took a deep breath and reached forward until his hand gently found her arm, entwining it with his.
"Then let's go get some ice cream." He gently pulled her along the path, almost feeling the mute shock coming from Mikasa somewhere behind him. She re-joined them soon enough.
They spent the rest of the afternoon just chatting and catching up. Mikasa told her about Ymir and Krista and urged Eren to talk about college as well. Even Eren joined in a little, even giving her some tips about cooking and some websites to check out for simple recipes. They parted ways as the sun began to set.
Eren walked with Mikasa back towards Levi's apartment. Eren noticed an odd silence with Mikasa and nudged her with his shoulder.
"Hey, 'Mika." Mikasa hummed in acknowledgement. "You… seem kinda off. I thought the meeting actually went pretty well… Maybe a few more like that and I may begin to like her." He attempted to joke, but heard no response. Mikasa heaved a sigh.
"I don't know… She just… seemed different somehow. Not like herself."
Eren tilted his head and thought a bit before replying. "Well… it sounds like she is having trouble with Grisha like…" Eren swallowed, shoving the memories back, "like I was."
Mikasa huffed in frustration, "No, not like that. Like the mother I knew growing up wasn't there, or was only a shadow of who I knew. I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired and overthinking it."
Eren stopped and pulled her into a poorly aimed one arm hug, which she eagerly returned. He hugged her tight and said, "Don't worry about it for tonight. You can ask her about it tomorrow or we can all look into it." Mikasa sighed again and Eren had a sudden thought. "'Mika… Do you remember Hannes?" He asked cautiously.
Mikasa suddenly stiffened in his arms. "Eren…" She said in a warning tone. Hannes had been a close family friend of theirs back when their mother was alive. He is a cop and was one of the first responders on scene after Carla's murder. They had fallen out of touch after that, the memories and grief too painful.
Eren avoided the topic carefully, knowing it would upset them both. "Hannes is probably still in the police, 'Mika. We can ask him to look into some of Mary's files."
Mikasa pulled away and was silent for a while. "I feel like that is a serious breach in privacy as daughter to mother…. But I really do think something strange is going on. Trust me, something is up."
Eren smiled. "Of course I trust you. Let's call him tomorrow, together." Eren heard a relieved sigh this time.
"Okay then, brother." Her mood seemed to swiftly change, causing Eren to pause. "Let's get you back to your boyfriend so you can make SWEET SWEET LOOOOVE!" Eren slapped a hand over Mikasa's mouth, feeling his face rapidly turning a bright red.
"Mikasa!" His sister burst into giggles and pulled him back into a walk. "You need to meet Hanji… I have a feeling you two would get along." He grumbled as he let Mikasa pull him along. Then he paused to think on what he said. "Wait no. No. Actually that would be a terrible idea!"
"Hanji, you said? Didn't you mention she was going to spend time with Levi?"
Eren could see where she was going with this.
"No. No. No I don't think I did…"
"So that means she is with Levi now… Hurry brother! I must return you to your prince!"
Eren sighed and dragged his feet, but he let a small smile on his lips at his sisters improved mood.