A/N: Coming in clutch for December :D

I really enjoyed writing this story. Since last chapter was I guess decently tragic and had some elements of tragedy even though it had a happy ending, I went all out with the fluff this month. Welllllll, that's hoping that you guys enjoy this kind of fluff too! I'm sure you notice I use a lot of the same AU premises like the name of their children etc, but I still like putting a unique twist to things. So hopefully you find this chapter to be as unique and as sweet as I thought it was. I've been wanting to make one of them sick for a while, and Eren being kind of a klutz but still in control at the same time is something I find adorable. Thank you for all the recent favorites and follows! They mean the world to me, and if you are kind enough to leave a few words as a simple review that makes my day-no, my week for that matter-and I appreciate you beyond what words can say! Thank you!

This story's filled with Hurt/Comfort minus the Hurt. So just the comfort! Infinite comfiness for everybody! Stay warm and stay safe!

Warmth

Mikasa wandered around the darkly lit back alley to behind the run down old building. She traversed down a few more narrowing twists and turn before she finally came upon a section of the maze between buildings a wall with a singular door, and across it, one hooded figure leaning against a brick wall. The person was a woman: sleek and decently tall, with a slender but tight form and a flash of blonde hair peeking out from the hood's edge. Enter Annie Leonhardt.

"With all this ridiculous nonsense, you'd think they're still kids," she said as Mikasa neared her. "But no, they remain the same even all these years later."

Mikasa smiled. "I couldn't agree more. In lively spirits, I assume?"

Annie snorted, then pulled her phone out of her pocket. ""You assume correctly," she said. "Couldn't wait to get out the damn door. I don't even understand what's so exciting about being here."

"Tell me something, Anne, do you ever indulge in any of Armin's interests?"

Annie peered at her from the shadows of her hoodie. "No," she said simply. "And stop calling me Anne."

Mikasa walked over and leaned back into the wall right next to Annie, then slid her back down all the way till she hit the floor. Sighing, she shrugged her bomber jacket closer around her shoulders to tuck away the cold night air, then pulled out her own phone and started browsing.

Some time later she heard Annie's phone click shut and her hand drop to her side. Mikasa assumed she was tired of waiting. "Damn them," she muttered. "What's taking them so long?"

"Best let them have their fun, Annie. We don't let them go out often, after all."

"Correction, you don't let him go out all that often. Me and Armin have all the time in the world."

Mikasa looked up at her friend with a doubtful look on her face. "Yeah, right you do."

"I swear. "

"I don't believe that even remotely," Mikasa huffed away. "Unless you're flat out ignoring Isabelle."

That earned her a long sigh, followed by some shuffling. Mikasa could almost visualize Annie's shoulders going up in her signature shrug. "Guilty," she admitted.

"So what do you do with her then?"

"I throw her in a daycare."

Mikasa's eyes closed in a sort of face palm moment. "What kind of mother are you?"

Another shrug. "I dunno, the worst kind, I guess," she replied, eyes a little downcast. "Not like I could ever relate."

Mikasa's expression softened. Her own mother was never around for very long, but at least Mikasa had been old enough to have known her and loved her. Annie couldn't lay claim to any of that.

"Ah, sorry," she apologized. "Didn't mean it like that, Annie. I'm sure Izzy loves you."

"Armin, sure," she replied. "Me, I doubt it."

"You're her mother, Annie. There's no way she doesn't have room in her heart for you."

Annie was about to reply when she was cut off by the door across them violently slamming open, admitting the brown and blonde pair of heads that were the girls' husbands.

"…and he was just an asshole," Eren was saying. "Wouldn't let us get away with seven hundred tickets…what a jerk."

"To be fair, nobody's ever waved that many tickets in front of him before all still in one piece. I'm sure he must've thought we broke open a machine and stole tickets out of it."

"I assume you two are done with you shenanigans?" Annie asked, her voice not changing a bit from when she spoke with Mikasa, that same subtly sarcastic undertone laying beneath her words. Eren shook his head vehemently.

"Consider a new grudge formed," he grumbled. "What a waste of time."

Mikasa rose from where she was sitting. "What made you spend a ridiculous amount of time here anyway?"

Eren looked at her. "For starters, I really wanted to win that huge plush pink bunny for Carla. I'd been promising her something big for weeks now and this was the only way I was gonna get it."

"You know they also sold those right? You could've just bought it instead of just having to rack up tickets." Armin interjected matter-of-factly like he always did, his voice always seeming to be quite simply by how attention-grabbing Eren's was. Eren was quick to glance at him too.

"Yeah, right. I ain't paying sixty bucks for that shit. I love Carla but goddamn, if I wanted to empty my pockets like that I'd just buy her some new clothes," Eren's gaze then subconsciously went to his wife. "And of course here is our daily reminder that we are flat out bro-o-o-o-oke!" He shouted to nobody, declaring poverty.

Mikasa laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "No need to remind the dead," she said softly. Eren offered her a likewise smile.

"Serves to remind me to not empty out the coffers," he said. "Didn't you always used to say that it took more than a megaphone to my ears to get past my stubbornness?"

She rubbed his arm in response, stuffing the other down the pocket of her jacket to combat the night's chilliness. "Still do," she replied.

Armin slapped him on the back on the opposite side. "If I recall correctly, what you were most dense too was her feelings."

Mikasa flushed, briefly flashing back to her innocent, love-struck and frustrated teen self. "I thought I'd never get to you," she admitted.

Eren just shrugged indifferently. "I was a stupid guy," he raised his hands in the air as the four of them made their way out the alley and back onto the mainstream of Shiganshina's bursting streets. "Can't deny it. And let me leave no doubt that I dense is no longer an accurate word for describing my reaction to her."

Armin pushed his glasses up against the bridge of his nose. "Sounds about right," he said. "Eren Jaeger, clever in nothing but making subtly sexual double entendres."

"You know, I find myself contemplating my choice at times like these," Mikasa swung her lush raven locks back behind her ears. Once upon a time they had been far past her shoulders, another time they had framed her face, not too long ago they were as short as they had ever been, and now they hovered in slight waves just above her collarbone. Mikasa never did much with her hair, most times she wanted to just wrap it up and not worry about it under the welcoming warmth of a hoodie. She guessed that she could probably relate to Annie in that sense, who was across her now with barely a few strands of her deathly pale blonde hair flocking in front of her eyes from under the gray, snugly fit sweater.

"I'm sure you do," Eren agreed humorously. Mikasa wondered once upon a time if Eren had thought anything about her hair. Eren's now was the one that went well past his shoulders, messily held up by a bun and cap. It was a mystery that held her attention for many years, and one that had her spend unnecessary amounts of effort in it by attempting to replicate the hairstyles of any girl that managed to turn Eren's head, which were few. Safe to say, Mikasa really didn't have anything to go off of as an example. It was only a few years later she'd find out that, as much as he tried to deny it at the time, he'd drool over her even on her hair's worst days. Later into their relationship as a married couple Mikasa would find out that Eren found value in actions she did specifically for him. Who knew that after all this time of Mikasa's obsessiveness that it was Eren who was the overprotective one. Eren turned out to have a high level of jealousy, in tune with his fiery personality. It was almost as bad as Mikasa's. Almost.

All in all, they were a very possessive couple.

Mikasa didn't care much. She was never insecure for her looks (regarding everybody except for Eren, of course) and turns out that wearing whatever please her also pleased her husband was a pretty good tradeoff too. On the condition that, he reciprocated in reigning in his own impatience, keeping himself well groomed, and appreciating her…among other things.

Eren and Armin had their sights set on pizza for the night, since they had gotten kicked out of the arcade before they had eaten anything. Mikasa and Annie weren't particularly hungry, but tagged along anyway, the girls usually being able to pack away an admirable appetite whilst still maintaining top physical form. Something that, they both were certain, Armin and Eren thoroughly enjoyed. And the boys certainly weren't wimps themselves. They'd grown quite a bit from their scrawny teenage years.

As of now, Eren had snatched Armin's glasses away from him and was wearing them. Strangely attractive, the girls thought. Armin could pass for a model without his glasses. His face was pristine and well structured, with a pleasant smile and a warm expression. "Warm" was perhaps the best way of describing him, Mikasa thought vaguely. Probably a part of his personality that drew the ice queen Annie herself to him eventually. Eren on the other hand, actually looked the tiniest bit presentable, the glasses giving him somewhat of a classy look, as if the person wearing them wasn't ready to pick a fight with you at any second. Thankfully that didn't happen all that often now. It'd be a bad example for the kids.

They sat themselves down at a booth in a restaurant and ordered menus. Mikasa furtively glanced down at her watch. 7:27 P.M., it read. They would have to get home soon, Mikasa thought. The babysitter only stayed till nine.

Eren leaned back with a content sigh, glad he had the opportunity to relax. An arm subconsciously draped over Mikasa, leaning on her for support. He could feel her hand take his and rub and angelic thumb over his knuckles.

"How's the kid, guys?" Eren asked, his laid-back attitude calling for some friendly conversation. "Hope she's doing well?"

"Splendid," Armin replied, having grabbed back his glasses to look at the menu. He was attentively studying it when Eren asked him the question. "I just hope she learns to like me is all. I'm afraid I'm not the most playful father in the world."

Mikasa smiled. "Eren's more than welcome to help you out. That title should go to him with how many times I have to pull him and the kids off of doing some crazy bullshit."

"You call it nonsense, I call it fun," Eren replied. "And on that note, daddy's their favorite, so joke's on you."

Annie, who had remained quiet for most of the exchange and was usually exempt from verbal engagement in general, finally spoke up, asking,"Do they really come to like you?"

Eren and Mikasa exchanged a glance. They supposed they had taken the role of the experienced parent couple now. "They do, actually, Annie," Mikasa responded. "When you show her that you're her mother she'll fall for you. Every child needs one; when you present yourself to her like that she'll cling to you immediately."

Annie's shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Makes sense," she began dejectedly. "I haven't been around her too much…"

"Well, that's where progress sets in, doesn't it?" Eren replied. "I always tell Mikasa, there's no way in hell I'm getting a nine-to-five job. There's one way to raise kids, and the first step is to actually be there."

Eren seemed prepared to go on another tangent about kids and parents, but Mikasa proved to be the more clever one of the two. She gently nudged him with her elbow, making him refrain from launching into another sentence. I suppose he is still quite dense, Mikasa thought, knowing that he was completely unaware of how uncomfortable he was making the couple sitting across them feel.

"It's okay guys," Mikasa continued. "Take your time. Life isn't being particularly merciful to either of us here, and I understand that. But, as hard as it may be, I'm certain you'll find a way." She tilted her head cutely. "Sorry if I'm sounding super cliche, but it's the truth. Sometimes there's just nowhere to go but up."

"Makes sense," Annie replied. A hand snaked under the table and took hold of Armin's, who smiled in response.

"Say we try it, Annie?" He asked her. For once, the blonde girl actually smiled.

"I'm not against it."

Just then, their food arrived, and they ate, Mikasa in somewhat of a hurry, itching to get back home. On the way back, she dozed in the car, and briefly wondered of they were going to be able to uphold what she had preached.

…

"I sent Ben to bed around an hour ago, and after some messing around he finally fell asleep. Carla's still awake though, she's just watching TV. I'm so sorry about that, I think I let her have too many sweets…"

"It's perfectly fine, Gabi. Thank you for helping us out. We really appreciate it," Mikasa hugged the younger girl. "And thanks again for staying late. I know we said nine o'clock max but I'm afraid we're just not the most punctual people."

Gabi smiled and patted Mikasa on the back. "No worries! I'm probably going to be staying up anyway," she assured her. "Plus, it's just been me and Carla for this past hour, and you know I love hanging out with her."

"I really appreciate it, Gabi. Take care of yourself okay?"

The girl slipped on her shoes and hopped out the door, waving back in goodbye. "Of course, Mikasa! Thanks for the cash!"

Mikasa smiled at her departing figure, before closing the door to their small house. One story with an attic, a garage, a small kitchen tucked away into a corner, two bedrooms and one bath. Not too bad of a backyard, and even a shed in the back. It was a miracle that they had found this place. It was one master bedroom and one smaller one, and Eren and Mikasa had given the former to the kids to share. Two twin beds of different colors were pressed against opposite walls, though occasionally they would find Carla in Ben's bed, tucked up against him when she would get scared for the night. Often times Mikasa would wake up, with the ears of a mother, to a terrified Carla at the edge of their bed, blanket wrapped protectively around her. Mikasa and Eren themselves couldn't afford to have something large than a full queen for them both, but Mikasa in her drowsiness would pick their daughter up and try to fit her in between the two of them. Both parents would wake up in unnatural positions, courtesy of the oblivious child finally able to sleep, and as a result turned out to be a frequent tosser and turner comfortably in slumber.

Here she was now, the adorable little thing bundled up in a blanket, full cheeks and big almond eyes, a dazzling green like her father's. She was big for three years old, and quite intelligent too, probably from Mikasa. A dark auburn braid crown circled her head, and she happily sucked on a juice box as her favorite show played in front of her. Flashing lights were reflected on a cute, childlike face that seemed like it was destined to mature beautifully. And knowing Mikasa, Carla was bound to rival her mother in her prime years.

Eren greeted her with a kiss and a giggle as he sat behind her, occupying the space between her back and the couch so that he could wrap an arm around her and pull her towards him. He planted one more kiss to the back of her head before settling on just keeping her in his embrace.

Mikasa tugged on Eren's leg as she neared them, shrugging off her jacket to hang it up in their closet. "You're dirty," she called after him, feeling the weariness of the day starting to take its toll on her. "Change first please."

"'Kay," she hear Eren lazily respond, his face stuffed into the blanket as he was probably gushing over Carla again.

"I'm serious, Eren," Mikasa repeated, starting to feel that strange, queasy feeling that one gets when they feel a cold coming on. Mikasa, the warrior she was, resisted and went about taking care of herself before it really began to affect her. She just hoped Eren would listen to her, she thought to herself as she turned the hot water to a max and jumped in the shower. She tied up her hair and tried not to get it wet, since she would probably come out of the shower to even colder air, and all that dampness left on her hair might get her even more sick. Mikasa couldn't get sick; she had to take care of the three rascals that lived with her.

Mikasa changed into something soft and warm, and pushed open the kids' door to find Benjamin peacefully sleeping on his bed. That was good.

Then she went to the living room and found out that Eren and Carla were also sleeping obliviously peacefully. That was not good.

At this point, Mikasa really did not feel like dealing with this, so she resorted to throwing a blanket over the two of them and heading to bed. The headache was starting to set in now. Mikasa shivered and pulled the blanket up to her chin. She hoped she would be better in the morning.

She was not.

…

Eren Jaeger woke up on his side in an awkward position, stuffed uncomfortably into the side of the couch as his daughter liberally took up all the space on the couch cushions. He was still in his jacket and jeans from last night, and could instantly feel that they were rough and probably dirty. He could vaguely recall Mikasa telling him to change before dozing off to snapping awake with the early morning sun dripping through the blinds. He got up with care, not wanting to wake Carla, then readjusted the cushion and blanket to tuck her back in. He slipped out of his dirty clothes and tossed them in the hamper in the garage, leaving him in a pair of boxers and a worn out undershirt. As far as he knew, he was the only one awake in the house. The clock said it was around forty minutes past six.

Eren had opened the door to the room he and Mikasa shared to pick out some fresh clothes from their dresser, when he realized he wasn't the only one awake. At first he thought she was still asleep, then after a pause realized that she was moving under the blanket, and that it was irregularly pulled all the way over her head.

"Mikasa?"

He found her in a cold sweat, heating up beyond compare, cheeks flushed and eyes glazed over. It almost looked like she didn't know where she was, only that when she opened her eyes, the world spun, and when she opened her mouth, the pizza from the previous night threatened to claw its way back up her throat in the most unpleasant fashion.

"Ereh…" she managed to whimper, vocal chords failing her. Eren took a minute to be surprised, was at a loss for words and actions for a moment, then decided that he should probably help.

Though Eren was usually the patient and Mikasa the doctor on many previous occasions stemming from their childhood to their married life, he wasn't completely unaware of what he should do (though admittedly he was running on guess work for most of it). Sick people usually wanted something warm, Eren thought, so he went to the kitchen to make her a cup of jasmine tea, a favorite of hers. During the midst of it, Eren realized he should probably put some clothes on instead of prancing around the house half naked, so he threw on some shorts while he set water to boil. As he did so, he noticed that he'd accidentally woken Benjamin up by clanging a pot earlier, and told him to just stay in bed. It was a cold morning. By this time he realized that he'd forgotten he'd set water to boil, and so his clumsiness went forward.

He set Mikasa down a tray of breakfast consisting of the tea and some oatmeal and fruits, with plenty of sugar to curb her unsettled stomach and provide some relief to her tastebuds from the sickening taste of saliva. He brushed her hair away and tried to take her temperature, but Mikasa, ever the loving woman, thought of two little people far more important than her even in her state of distress.

"School," she said after some time. "They're gonna be late, Eren…hurry."

"I will, Mimi, just a moment. Lemme take care of you first."

Mikasa moaned and complained, trying to express her frustration from Eren not listening to her. In her weakened state she really didn't feel like trying to reason with him, so as a result it manifested in an almost childish flail to get him to listen. Her eyes were droopy and would open and shut every so often, so in the moment she did very much look like a baby. Hair was matted to her forehead where she sweat, her body feeling the heat of being wrapped up in a blanket and comforter with a heater on but still somehow feeling cold. Eren was uncertain to leave her, but after continuous pestering her did.

Carla had preschool for four hours, Benjamin had first grade, and Eren dropped both of them off in about forty five minutes. A little too later, he realized that he didn't have time to make them lunch at all, so he fished out a couple bucks for Benjamin to use at the cafeteria and bought Carla a Lunchables to take with her. He waved them good bye and went home.

Mikasa had tried, unsuccessfully, to down all on her plate, and the end result left her with uncertainty between mouthfuls, wondering if she would throw up or not. She felt a little better and the headache had settled down, but whenever she raised her head a little bit dizziness would strike her almost immediately. She felt terribly sluggish and was basically unable to move. After some time, she heard their front door open, and knew it must be Eren getting back home. When he came in to check on her again, she asked him to move her to the living room, and he obliged. He wrapped her up again like a burrito to ensure her warmth and comfiness, lifted her up bridal style and carried her to the living room. Feeling a little embarrassed, she tried to tuck her chin into his chest as he lifted her, not liking to be incapable of just moving herself from one place to the other.

Eren must have sensed her unease, because he didn't let her get away with it. "You good?"

Tired gray eyes lifted briefly to meet his. "Yes," she lied, which was all Eren needed to hear. He placed her carefully on the couch and tucked her in the same way he did Carla earlier this morning. Resigning to the fact that it was probably going to be a boring day, Mikasa settled into her newfound seat and tried to relax. Eren asked her if she needed anything again, to which she refused, deciding it might be best to let her volatile stomach be calm for the time being.

Eren sat down on the floor in front of her and grabbed the remote. He hadn't changed from the rushed outfit he put on in the morning, and only pushed his socks off to lazily point them at the TV as he opened up Netflix. Eren would pick a movie and get something to snack on, and wouldn't really say much to Mikasa, who stayed wrapped up, placidly behind him her head poking out of a bundle of blankets like a cute rabbit. She stared right past Eren's shoulder for around an hour when she finally wondered if he was cold at all too. And a glance at him told her that he was, just a tiny bit, shivering. He was in truth, very cold; but he one he was a lazy bastard and didn't feel like grabbing the only other blanket in the house, which happened to be Carla's unicorn plush throw over her bed (Carla was possessive over her items, much like her parents with each other) and second because he didn't feel comfortable taking them away from Mikasa who was clearly feeling a much colder climate than he was.

With one hand, Mikasa wrapped the edge of a blanket around his neck, brought it back around to her face and tucked it back under her cheek. Attention achieved, Eren turned around to see the most adorable soft gray puppy eyes he'd ever witnessed staring deep into his soul.

Apparently Mikasa was still cold.

Eren got up from where he was, leaned right over Mikasa and placed an arm and a leg on both sides of her huddled form, effectively tightening up her cotton cocoon even more. An arm snaked under her neck and ended at her hands, which were both plastered up close to her chin trying to preserve any bit of warmth they could offer. Eren brought his head down, and like he did with both his girls he greeted them with a kiss on the nose as he cuddled up with her. An amazingly warm cheek pressed against Mikasa's cold one, and for the first time today she truly felt warm.

The hand that held her own covered over both of them, linking Mikasa's fingers up and pressing them close against the,. Eren was on top of her and technically out of the blanket, but what they were doing now felt fine enough for him. He almost felt like dozing off again. Except he couldn't, because he'd have to pick up Carla in an hour and didn't want to risk the chance of oversleeping and leaving his poor princess stranded. Also because he had work later that night and didn't want to take a midday nap to wake up feeling sluggish. Instead, he channeled his energy towards affection.

A thumb rubbed over her knuckles, and a little while later Mikasa felt an even warmer set of lips connect with her cheek again, lingering this time. The second time it came it was nearer to her jawline. Enjoying the attention but obviously not in the best of moods at the moment, Mikasa shrugged at him lightly.

"Stop it," she said, voice weak, though it was obvious she had said it harmlessly. "You're gonna get sick too."

Eren tutted. "Oh come on, it's okay. What else you expect me to do?"

Mikasa smiled from under him. God, she looked and sounded adorable, Eren thought. He planted another kiss to her temple. "Maybe something productive for once," she said.

Eren pulled her closer to him, and let out a sigh of content. It didn't get this good try often. Which was why he was so insistent on it. "I don't think so, love," he replied. "I don't think so." And they left it at that.

Several minutes later the movie ended, and Eren turned the TV off to shut out the noise. It was bonding time, he thought. No need to be glued to a screen. A little while later, he spoke again. "I missed you," he said. Mikasa laughed, despite the nausea.

"I haven't gone anywhere," she replied simply, shrugging again. This time, the shrugs were made trying to dig her shoulders into his chest, trying to envelop herself in that warm body. What a pleasant experience, Mikasa thought.

"Will you ever?"

"Ever what?"

"Go somewhere,"

Mikasa shook her head to the east of her ability. "No," she said simply.

Another few minutes pass. Mikasa feels heat rising up again, and tries to get herself up to take a sip of her tea. Eren reached over with a long arm and held it up for her as she sipped. She'd taken her arm out from her precious bubble of warmth to prop herself up, and Eren helped her snatch it back inside, lifting her upper body momentarily with the arm beneath her neck to fully secure the wrap once again before reinforcing it with his other arm. Mikasa found herself smiling again.

"You're so sweet," she said hoarsely, the sickness apparently reaching its peak for the day. She felt like she was going to die. Her body felt like it was in turmoil and her forehead sweated a mess. Struck by a sudden fear, she tried to force heavy eyelids to open.

"I love you," she managed to whisper, just wanting to get those words out there. Eren shushed her and hummed into her ear. "Thank you."

"Anytime, sweet," he assured her. "Love you too, Mimi."

Eren tried to lull her into a calmer sleep, but it wasn't long before a sharp throbbing began to torment her, and she flatten herself out on the couch. Eren sensed the urgency in her moments and quickly lifted himself off of her, sitting on the edge, tensed up and ready to help. Mikasa shoved the blanket off of her, suddenly feeling like she'd been in an oven for the past hour. The light shining through the screen door to their backyard seemed blinding. Her chest heaved as she pulled in huge breaths, shirt matted to her skin through sweat. Eren watched her cautiously, tense and waiting to see if he needed to spring into action. Mikasa shut her eyes, trying to combat the wave of nausea that overtook her, and for a moment, it seemed like she had done it. She opened her eyes with a gasp, her breathing under control. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she calmed down. She laid her hands out on her sides and tried to feel her environment out. It really was hot, Mikasa thought. Feeling a little brave, she pushed herself up to her elbows, looking up with her neck to look at Eren.

"You okay?" he asked her for the second time that day. With a tentative nod, she reached a hand out, her confidence growing. Feeling bit of her strength coming back, she took Eren's hand when he offered it to her and pulled herself to sit upright.

Before proceeding to promptly throw up right into Eren's lap.

Her mouth wrenched itself forward, her stomach came down in convulsions and she made terrible sounds as a mixture of tea and oatmeal came up in a natural concoction that landed dead center onto Eren's torso. There was a solid five seconds of uncontrollable regurgitating before Mikasa willed herself to stop for a moment, tried to assume control of her body, failed, and used what was left of her willpower to at least readjust her aim away from her poor husband and to the floor. She bent over the couch and her stomach heaved some more, emptying what was left in her from the day. Even when she knew there was nothing left her stomach wrenched anyway, leaving her in a cramping pain as she repeatedly tried to void out her already empty body.

When it was all over, she stood shivering again. All the warmth and stuffiness she had felt a minute ago was gone and replaced with cold. A freezing cold. Her exposed arms shook stiff and she tried flail them back to her chest and tuck her hands under her chin like she did before, only to realize that the entire front of her clothes were soaked in vomit. A horrid smell rose up in the room, and was made especially prominent right under her own nose.

She felt terrible. In so many ways. Her body did, her head was pounding. She smelled bad, felt all around dirty, and desperately wanted to lay back down and wrap up in her blanket but couldn't because of how she'd stained the entire place. She felt helpless, the complete opposite of her usual self, and when she looked up, it only got worse. On top of it all, a burning sense of embarrassment rose to her flaming hot cheeks as she saw calm turquoise eyes gazing at her, head tilted and an eyebrow cocked up in amusement and sympathy. Oh, and not to mention a completely ruined shirt and pair of jeans. Oh no. She was at a loss for words and actions and had no answer to her sickness. Her mind could't even think straight. She must've looked hideous. For the first time in a while, she felt lost, ashamed to even be in sight of the boy she loved most.

So she burst into tears.

Wailing and bawling like the time when they were fifteen and she had thought that Eren got kidnapped, searched for him well past midnight and finally found him after a stray cop had picked him up near an abandoned factory. She'd went from calm to panicking to desperate in a matter of hours and in her time of despair she finally found him—only to lose all her composure and embarrass herself again in front of all their friends and family as she ran up, clung to him and cried so loudly that she woke the neighborhood. This time was a bit different, but once she lost all her answers, there was only one place she could turn to.

As if being sick wasn't enough, heaving tears did nothing good for her stomach or for her headache for that matter, and her breaths still came erratically as she felt Eren's gentle hands brushing away tears. Tears, sweat, vomit, what a disgusting day, she thought bitterly. The worst of bodily fluids all into one.

"Yeah," Eren agreed with himself. "You're definitely not okay."

…

First thing Eren had did was taking off his dirty clothes and throwing yet another outfit into the hamper. Secondly he addressed the house first, so he stripped the couch cushions, pulled away the carpet that she vomited on, threw the blanket and the comforter along with his clothes, and spammed Febreeze air refreshener all over the place. Then he finally addressed Mikasa, who sat there in her undergarments while Eren took care of the dirtiness, including her clothes as well. Was probably going to be a hassle getting her into a shower when she couldn't even sit up straight, so he settled with cleaning her up with some baby wipes to at least make her feel a little fresh and less like acidic oatmeal left out for too long. She sniffled the entire time.

He picked out some clothes for her and helped her get in them; she seemed so lethargic she could barely lift a limb. This time he decided he'd bring her back into the room. He resorted to using Carla's unicorn blanket to cover her up, which at this point was the only option left in the house, and by the time he had settled her back in he realized that speaking of Carla, he should probably get going. Preschool to art club at the rec center for an hour, waiting until she was done and then driving half an hour the other direction to pick up Benjamin from school. He definitely did not feel like leaving Mikasa alone for that long.

Instead he decided to call in a favor, from a particular blonde pair that just happened to could use some hearty experience being around kids.

"…yeah, so it's around an hour. Carla usually likes to take her time, I dunno. But if you guys wanted to leave I'm sure she'd listen to you guys. After that it's just picking up Benjamin and that's all."

"Sounds good, getting ready to head out right now."

"Thanks, Armin. And also, you guys are taking Isabelle with you, right? Could give Carla some company."

"Yeah, yeah, Annie's getting her ready. Does't sound like that bad of an outing, honestly. We had nothing to do this afternoon."

Eren laughed. "Yeah, well I had everything to do this afternoon."

Armin responded in kind. "Don't worry, man, we got you two covered. We'll pick 'em up, have some fun and head back to you guys. Tell Mikasa we said get better soon."

"I appreciate it, dude. Love you guys. See you in a bit."

Eren hung up and stuffed the phone into his pocket, turning his attention back to the pouty baby bundled up in a My Little Pony blanket. "You didn't have to trouble them with picking the kids up," Mikasa grumbled from under the covers. "I told you you could leave me."

Eren raised a questioning eyebrow. "Mmhm, and look at how that turned out. You would've fossilized in your own vomit had I not been there."

Mikasa flushed red. "I wouldn't have." She preposterously claimed in a small voice. Not feeling up to the challenge of verbal warfare, the couple cuddled up again, even closer this time. Eren made her some more tea, and nothing else to prevent her from throwing up any heavy foods. He sweetened the tea especially to ease out her tastebuds and get the taste of throw up out of her mouth.

"Isn't it kind of funny?" Mikasa asked after a while. Eren opened his eyes from behind her; it'd been an exhausting day, now that he didn't have to worry about the kids he'd try to catch a wink or two.

"What is?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just…I felt so high and mighty last night giving Armin and Annie that advice," Mikasa admitted. "I felt like my confidence was at a high and felt really smooth about it. Then, well, the world threw humbleness on me, I guess." She sounded downcast. Eren didn't want to hear his sweetheart down. She was a little emotionally broken.

"Nothing wrong with that, bae," Eren replied. "How many times have I gotten beat up? Humiliated for being a worked up asshole? Hell, how many times have you yourself kicked my ass? I didn't care. I just came back and tried again. You put it finely last night: don't matter if it sound cliche, it's the truth. Just try again."

Mikasa shifted her weight beside him so she could turn to him. "Yeah," she agreed warmly, looking into his eyes. A tired man, he was. Sh'e definitely have to pamper him for a day later to pay him back. Though honestly, when she thought about it, she probably could never truly pay him back. So many things that he had done for her, whether he knew it or not. For him to be here, on what was undoubtedly her worst day—he one hundred percent deserved to be there on her best.

"Not about how many times you fall, Mimi," he said before he closed his eyes again. "It's about how fast you get back up. So get back up." Without opening his eyes, he leaned forward and connected with her for a kiss. Mikasa smiled into it.

"I probably taste like vomit right now," she said, but Eren just shook his head.

"I don't give a fuck," he replied, in typical Eren fashion. And with that it left her with the overwhelming motivation to heed his advice and get back up as fast as she could.

Yeah, she took back what she said last night. She didn't doubt her choice at all. And on her best day, she vowed, she would certainly show him.