Summary: Eren sees Mikasa in a different light.

A/N #1: tw: nightmares; abduction; lots of swearing.

an omake/sneak peak [supposedly] for next chapter at the end. see long-ass rant/note too, if you're interested :)

"For Sina's sake, Eren, we need to turn this in before lunchtime."

Eren nearly fell off his chair as Armin kicked him from under the table. He was staring a minute ago at the thin layer of dust settled on top of the books at the corner of the student lounge, nursing the itch to grab a wet cloth and wipe it all off (There's been a persistent voice at the back of his head that Commander Levi will materialize out of nowhere to give him the death glare. Holy Mother of Maria, what have they done to me?). Next thing he knew, he was sucked into his wandering thoughts and has completely zoned out.

He straightened himself in his seat, catching his best friend's signature frown across him. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Armin drew in a sharp breath and massaged the bridge of his nose. Their whole class have been staying in the student lounge that morning for their World Literature essay, with Professor Zacharias asking them to work in pairs and reflect on the epic poem The Great Titan War.

"I said you forgot to answer one question, but it's fine now, I already worked on it," Armin replied. Eren mumbled an apology.

"Seriously, Armin, what did you expect? Of course he's not gonna help you at the state he's in," Jean muttered.

Eren crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at his friend hunched down beside him while finishing his essay with Connie. "Care to explain what you mean, horseface?"

Jean poised to give a biting response, but Armin quickly cut in before a potential shouting match ensues. The blonde had zero shit about childish squabbles at the moment because there are more pressing matters such as Eren's recent, recurring absentmindedness.

"Is everything alright in the Palace, Eren?"

The mood in their table shifted. The Crown Prince of Paradis blinked at Armin, the early signs of a scowl now visible on his forehead at the unexpected question. Connie leaned forward from his seat in anticipation, and in Eren's periphery, Jean even set down his pen and leaned his cheek against his palm.

"What do you mean? Of course it's alright. Rico's a living legend, keeping that place up and running like a well-oiled machine."

Everyone's eyes remained glued on him, as if they were expecting to hear more. Connie started to get impatient, twirling a pen in between his fingers. "Dude, you've been zoning out a lot since the incident. It's a bit concerning, honestly."

Oh. Now that Eren thinks about it, they have been giving him weird looks for the past few days and it was getting on his nerves. "Since when have you been this observant, Connie?" Eren chuckled nervously.

Two weeks have passed since the incident that scandalized everyone in Paradis, rich and poor alike. Eren hadn't shared the details of everything that happened that night to his friends, and thankfully they haven't pried (except today), probably to give him space until everything finally settled down.

He knew that it was only a matter of time until the residents of the Underground acted on their antagonism towards the Royal Family. Still, it was shocking to see the hostility unfold right in front of him. There were no knives, gunfights or explosions, but the memory of the incident is vivid, imprinted on his mind. He's never experienced anything like it before— the feeling of being unwelcome, of being ganged up on because of his (newly-acquired-but-undesired) status, and being (partly) a target of the aggression.

The media circus that followed made everything worse, if that was even possible at that point. For the first time in Paradis' history, a member of the Ackerman Family was royally humiliated, and the embarrassment of it all was captured and broadcasted live on national TV. Over the next few days, the girl's egg-smeared face occupied the front page of every newspaper in the country.

Rico and her staff worked night and day putting out fires after fires, it was the first time Eren saw the terrifying woman in shambles and pulling her silver hair out. Commander Levi barked out countless orders to the squad leaders in the Royal Army ("He's being extra bitchy to everyone so best to avoid him," Zeke said), and even the King and Queen involved themselves directly in the investigation they commissioned over the incident.

Long story short, the incident left the sanity of everyone in the Palace teetered on the edge. At one point, Eren imagined that he was part of some shitty reality TV show and everything was just one, big, elaborate frame-up.

He also did his own share of crisis management after the incident, specifically with his hysterical mother over the phone ("By gods, Eren! Are you hurt? Your father and I are coming to see you! Do not go out of the Palace, do not be foolhardy and follow instructions! I already told Zeke to check on you A-S-A-P!").

His friends, on the other hand, weren't worried so much about him, with only a text message from Connie that said "Dude. We here Jean's crib. Nice save. U ok? Did the eggs hurt?", and variations of "Eren, how's Mikasa?" from Armin, Sasha and Annie.

Of course they'd worry about her more. She got the short end of the stick, after all, and Eren bore witness to that.

"You still haven't seen Mikasa until now?" Armin inquired, his brows furrowing in worry when Eren only shook his head in response. He had been constantly bringing up the girl in their conversations lately, but Eren's also been constantly dodging it.

Today, however, the blonde seemed determined to talk about her. "Maybe you should see her," he proffered.

Eren felt his face heat up at the suggestion. "Wh-what? Why would I want to see her?"

Panic swelled within him— surely he looked like an idiot right now, a blushing mess simply at the mention of seeing her. Goddamnit, Armin! His friends are looking at him weird at this moment, so he let out a mirthless laugh just to salvage the little bit of dignity that remained, and why is he even reacting this way?

"That's stupid, I don't want to see her. Never. It's better this way, I don't get to see her 'cause, you know, she's so annoying—"

Connie hurled a crumpled ball of paper at Eren's face, and Jean lightly smacked the back of his head.

"You're telling me you're separated only by a thin wall and you still haven't checked on her?"

"What a dimwit. I want to smack you ten times over."

Armin, on the other hand, only surveyed him with his blue eyes. "You're being weird about this, Eren."

"Whatever," Eren snapped, promptly avoiding Armin's piercing gaze. His best friend could always see through his bullshit that it's almost disturbing, and right now, he cannot deal with anything that leaves him awkward and nervous.

He shifted his eyes up the ceiling, scratching the part of his head that Jean hit. Inside the pocket of his trousers, his fingers mindlessly twiddled at the silver band in his ring finger, something that has grown into a habit whenever he thought of her.

Eren recalled how she acted highly unusual that day, even prior to the mess that transpired later on. She appeared washed-out and lifeless, but extremely jumpy and tense in some moments. She never responded in any way to his taunts, only staring at him with that blank, almost faraway look in her eyes.

When the shitshow ensued, she just stood helpless and out of focus (somehow, Eren felt proud that he had the reflexes to step in and protect her). She was nothing like the tough Princess that he's used to, and it unnerved him. Something was wrong with her that day, that much was clear to him.

Inevitably, his thoughts drifted back to the moment they were left alone in that dark, dingy clinic that reeked of alcohol and bleached sheets. Warm feelings stirred inside him as he remembered the way her vacant stares slowly filled with life when their eyes met, knocking the breath of out him. In that piece of solitude amid the chaos outside, she shed the princess persona in her sparkling tiara and blue chiffon dress. Underneath it all was a girl baring a hidden piece of her soul raw to him, and only him, as she broke down and wept in his arms.

And for reasons Eren really couldn't account for, all he wanted was to do anything— anything— that will take her pain away.

She held his hand tightly, and he never let go of her on their way home, in the car ride, and in the Palace as they walked to their apartment.

That was the last time Eren saw her.

Since then, the girl has been staying in her room the whole time, never going out at all (well, at least not that he's aware of). The kitchen staff had been bringing her meals in, but the plates were sometimes left untouched. Doctors have been going in and out, and even her parents and Commander Levi frequently visited their apartment (much to Eren's discomfort).

Yet, nobody tells him what's going on with her.

"Your Highness, you may attend your classes if you're comfortable," Rico approached him in his room the day after the incident. "Princess Mikasa cannot attend, but she insisted that you be allowed to go freely as you wish. The Palace will be providing security for you, of course."

"Is she sick?" Eren asked, unable to keep the concern from seeping through his voice.

Maybe he was just imagining it, but Rico appeared to be struggling over his question. "Princess Mikasa's… been having trouble sleeping."

What? Like insomnia? He tried to probe and squeeze out details about her condition, but Rico plainly told him, "Apologies, Your Highness, but that's not something I can share with you myself."

Even before his stupid, annoying friends brought it up, Eren has already been planning to visit her. A nagging feeling inside him wanted to know what was happening to her, and why they were hiding it from him. He is her… husband, after all. Aren't husbands supposed to know everything about their wives? Or… maybe the Palace is aware of their agreement on their eventual divorce. Is that why they're keeping things from him?

He considered breaking their most sacred rule and take a peek at her through their glass door, but every time he tried to, he always lost his nerve, because what if she doesn't want to see me? He knew that they've been horrible to each other, and he might only make everything worse.

So Eren just let the burning need stew at the back of his mind, waiting for that one opportunity when he can finally cross the threshold and see her at last.

The opportunity came a little too soon, and it wasn't under the best circumstances.

Eren has been exhausted that afternoon from gym class. Professor Shadis caught Sasha eating chips while they were playing dodgeball, so he made everyone in their class run laps around the field because why not, right? (He knew he had to get in shape when his legs started to give out at the second lap.)

He tottered into the apartment and into his room, dropping his bag on the floor and diving headfirst to his bed. Never mind dinner and the gym clothes and scarf he was still wearing. He just wanted to rest.

As he was about to slip into dreamland, an ear-splitting scream jerked him awake.

Eren jumped out of bed, his mind zipping through so many thoughts until he realized that holy fucking shit, that came from Mikasa's room. He sprinted to the glass door and tried pushing out the leather chairs and side tables that he barricaded, but he couldn't, because goddamnit why are these so fucking heavy? He was half-mad with terror because she kept screaming and fucking hell, I am so stupid, so he scrambled out of his room and busted her door open.

His eyes darted back and forth in the room searching for an assailant. He found no one. She was alone, but she was still screaming.

Eren rushed to her bed where she was writhing and thrashing, her eyes squeezed shut but damp with her tears— she was having a nightmare in the middle of the fucking afternoon. Eren had no clue what to do; he remembered Grisha telling him it wasn't a good idea to wake people during an episode, but it was agonizing to witness the state she was in.

"Mikasa!" Eren yelled, although he knew it was futile to call out to her. He wrenched her flailing arms because she was starting to hurt herself, so he swung his leg on her knees and pinned her wrists to her sides. She struggled to break free, and Mother of Maria she is strong.

"Mom! Dad! Please!"

Eren kept calling her name in vain hope that she will hear his voice. Thankfully her movements slackened off after a few minutes, and Eren released her from his hold. Her screams turned into whimpers that shook her whole frame.

"Please— help me…" her voice quavered, and Eren could feel in his bones the torment she was going through as more tears trickled out of her tightly-shut eyes. What the hell is she dreaming of?

His fingers rose instinctively to her cheeks, his thumb swiping off traces of it with featherlike gentleness.

"Hey, I'm here. I'm going to help you. Just… wake up, Mikasa."

Her eyes opened at last, her dark gray irises scouring her surroundings in a frenzy until it fell on Eren. She seemed disoriented to find him seated on the bed beside her.

"E-Eren?" she asked in a raspy whisper, chest rising and falling with her labored breaths.

"Uhm, hi," he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Sorry I broke your door, I— uh, you were screaming in your sleep."

She looked past Eren's shoulders and saw screws and bits of metal littered on the carpeted floor. Eren handed her a glass of water as she sat up slowly, which she took without question and gulped in one go.

She then lifted her gaze to him, and he stared back at her.

It's a look they shared for the first time in two weeks. It lingered a bit longer than they are used to, and Eren felt an unfamiliar flutter in his stomach and the thumping of his heart growing wilder by the second. Her long raven hair hung loosely on her sides, framing her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks red from crying, but she still looked awfully beautiful. Shit, this is not normal at all.

The prominent half-moons under her eyes and her gaunt cheeks didn't escape his attention, though.

"I stopped my medication for today," she sighed when she noticed him staring at the bedside table full of bottles of different medicines. "That's… that's probably why I had a nightmare again."

She lowered her head, her fringe curtaining an expression which Eren thought to be shame. He wanted to reach out to her and lift her chin up, to assure her there's nothing wrong with having bad dreams.

But then his eyes unconsciously travelled to her bare neck, and then down to her chest that was exposed by the low neckline of her white nightgown. It also dawned on him that its thin material made anything and everything practically visible (if one only stared hard enough). He was on his feet at once, looking at anywhere but her when he felt the surge of blood down below. You are a fucking pig, Eren Jaeger.

"S-sorry for disturbing you," she mumbled— and now she thinks he's angry at her. Whew. God bless your unsuspecting mind.

"Don't apologize. You should get some rest."

He made a move to leave when a gust of wind burst inside the room that had them rubbing their arms for heat. The icy air lingered, the overcast skies foreboding a rainy night at the peak of autumn.

"Dumbass. You should keep your windows closed, it's been very cold lately," he padded over to the windows and shut it close. "—There. Better?"

Instead of getting a response, he saw her lie down and curl up in her bed, looking almost like a child. Her frail body shivered and her teeth chattered, and she struggled tugging her thick blankets to take cover from the sudden assault of the cold.

He couldn't figure out what got into him, though he knew it just felt right, but Eren removed the red scarf he was wearing and sauntered to her bed.

Her glistening eyes grew wide as he tucked the fabric on her neck and pulled the thick blanket over her body properly.

"My mom made this. It keeps me warm, so I hope it helps you."

She nodded slowly, her eyes fluttering close as she buried herself in the scarf— his scarf.

"Warm."

The fluttering in his stomach and the wild thumping of his heart was back again.

The next day, Eren removed the barricades in the glass door (with Marco and Petra's help). He kept it unlocked since then.

Eren shuffled uneasily in front of Commander Levi's door, mustering every ounce of courage to twist the handle and enter the office. Marco informed him on the way home that the older Ackerman wanted to see him, so he dragged his ass in the hallway, dreading for any sort of confrontation. There hasn't been a time when Eren spent more than a minute alone with him, save for that very first evening in the Palace (and that was enough to give him Levi-induced anxiety for the rest of his life).

He took one deep breath and knocked, then poked his head inside the room. "You asked for me, Sir?"

Levi stood near his table conversing with another man, and they both turned their heads in his direction. The Commander wore his usual poker face, while his companion, a blonde, muscular man garbed in the green coat of the Royal Army, looked so familiar to him… oh my God.

"You're here. Good. He was just about to leave. I'd like to introduce you first to—"

"Holy shit, Reiner Braun!"

The two men exchanged bewildered glances at the giddy energy that came from the Crown Prince. Eren looked completely starstruck, and he was half-running towards Reiner, who became flustered at the unexpected turn of events.

He grabbed both of Reiner's hands and shook it enthusiastically. "I am a big fan! My friends and I watched your martial arts competitions on TV when I was in middle school!"

Reiner laughed quietly, stammering as he searched for words. "I, uh— thank you, Your Highness. I am deeply honored."

"Shit, I can't believe this! Jean is gonna lose his mind. He's my classmate, also a huge fan. I thought you were stationed permanently in Marley! Zeke Jaeger, my brother, always told stories—"

Levi cleared his throat, and Eren immediately unclasped Reiner's hands and stepped away from him. "S-sorry."

"It's fine. We don't need introductions, then. Eren, Reiner will train you in self-defense and basic combat skills. You'll start next week."

"Wh-what?"

Levi returned to his desk and sat on his chair. "You need to learn to protect yourself and Mikasa. You can't even run two laps around the school grounds."

Eren grimaced. He wanted to correct him that he actually completed the second lap, but it's pointless, anyway. It's true, he's all guts, no muscle. How did he find out, though? Does he have spies at school? More so, why did he have to shame him in front of the Reiner Braun who was already a judo star at the young age of ten?

"That's it, Braun. You're dismissed. Eren, stay here."

"I am looking forward to working with you, Prince Eren," he bowed to the Crown Prince, saluted his superior and left the room.

Eren occupied the seat in front of Levi's table, still not certain why he was there. The Commander leaned back on his chair with his eyes closed— he's clearly been under a lot of stress recently, the frown lines on his face making him look older and more haggard.

"I still haven't thanked you properly for taking care of Mikasa in the Underground. That was very honorable of you, and you will always have my gratitude."

"It's nothing, Sir."

"I also heard that she had a nightmare the other day and you assisted her. Thank you."

Eren almost uttered the words 'it's nothing' again, but a crazy idea came to him. He might be going out of line here, but after what he saw yesterday, he just had to know, and Levi was the right person to ask.

"Sir, why was she having those… nightmares?"

He had half the mind to retreat when Levi's eyes flew open and sized him up, and Eren swore he saw a vein pop out on the Commander's neck, but he bowed his head and powered through. "She… she was asking for help, and… it felt like it was so real to her."

A pained expression briefly passed Levi's typically stoic face, and Eren realized that, like Rico, he was also struggling with a question related to Mikasa's state. He walked over to the window, his back turned against Eren.

"The visit to the Underground triggered a traumatic experience for her, and now she's experiencing it all over again in her head. Then there's the egg incident which added a whole new layer to the trauma."

"What happened to her?"

He remained quiet for a long time, and the silence that stretched on between them weighed heavily.

"As you may be familiar with, I renounced the throne ten years ago, just before I turned nineteen. We announced it to the public, and Mikasa was next in line to succeed, so she became the Crown Princess."

He exhaled shakily, and the next words he uttered were articulated with great difficulty. "A week later… she… she was abducted and brought to the Underground. She was only eight years old, then."

Eren felt numb to his core as the words echoed in the room. Abducted..? He couldn't process it because this was not what he expected to hear, but what did he expect, really? Traumas with rainbows and butterflies and cotton candy clouds? Now he felt stupid for even asking.

"All we know is that some Palace staff slipped into her room while she was asleep," Levi continued. "Only a few trusted soldiers looked for her, since the Palace couldn't fully mobilize the Army… publicizing that the last Ackerman successor is missing would cause panic. And then, we found her hours later, unconscious in the Palace grounds. We don't know the details of what happened to her there that night. She wouldn't speak about it to anyone."

Suddenly, everything clicked and it all made sense to him— how the King made him promise to protect her, how they practically begged him to attend the important event alone in the Underground, how she was acting so unnatural that day.

Eren wanted to throw up, the horror of it all twisting his gut because no one should go through something like that. A paralyzing chill flooded his whole being as he imagined a small, trembling Mikasa, crying and pleading for help like in her nightmares, calling out to her parents, and reliving that moment over and over again every time she closed her eyes.

Who knows what else she went through that night. He found himself gritting his teeth and clenching his fists at the faceless bastards that took her.

"The reason I called you is because I wanted to ask a favor," Levi was now facing him with an almost earnest look on his face.

Eren just blinked, still muted at the discoveries that he brought to himself.

"What do you think about going home?"

The sunshine was beating down on Eren's nape, no signs of the overcast skies and heavy rain from the past few days. He stood in front of the gate of his small house, carrying a duffel bag packed with his clothes on his right hand, the other hand clenching and unclenching, hesitating to ring the doorbell. He could already smell his mother's fragrant peonies and hyacinths growing in their lawn.

Nothing compares to the feeling of going home— a place that only evokes a sense of safety, familiarity and comfort, a constant place to return to, like a steady rock to cling to in this never-ending flow of change. It's been months since he was last here, and while he's ecstatic to finally leave the Palace for a few days, it sort of came with… a caveat.

"I think you should ring the doorbell," her velvety voice halted the thoughts running in his head.

Right. Mikasa had to come with him, too.

She stood behind him carrying a duffel bag with her as well. She had her hair tied in a ponytail, looking infinitely better and healthier now even in just a simple white T-shirt and jeans. His scarf was draped around her neck despite the oppressive heat— or her scarf now, since she tried to return it to him but he refused (she looked snug with it and it admittedly suited her more).

Levi proposed that Eren and Mikasa get out of the Palace in the meantime, and the safest place he thought of was his own home in the suburbs in Sina (how it was the safest, Eren couldn't understand). They have a house in Shiganshina, but that would take a day for them to arrive by car.

"A change of scenery might do her good," as Levi put it that night. Eren doubted it, but he also couldn't say no to the Commander— not when he looked gloomy and menacing at the same time.

It's not that Eren hated the idea of it all. No. In fact, he's become… used to her presence. But this is his home, where he grew up with all the funny days and embarrassing nights, and this time, it would be like… bringing… a girl… home. It's confusing, but it always brought a blush to his face thinking about it.

They heard the doorbell echo from inside, and Carla came strolling out of the house donned in her green dress and apron. She opened the gate, and she immediately yelped in surprise as she registered the two faces in front of her.

"Oh my god, Eren! What are you doing here?"

Her amber eyes flickered to Mikasa, who smiled and bowed to her. "Good morning, Mrs. Jaeger."

"Oh my god, Princess Mikasa!" Carla frantically bowed to her, it was so embarrassing to look at. "Eren, why didn't you tell me you were coming? And with Princess Mikasa, of all people? Grisha! Zeke! Eren is here! With the Princess!"

"Mom, please— the neighbors will hear, this was supposed to be a secret—"

"Eren Jaeger, did you run away with this poor girl?" Carla cried out while scrutinizing both their matching casual clothing.

"Mom! No!"

Grisha emerged from the house gripping today's newspaper. A shirtless Zeke sluggishly followed behind, yawning and straightening his bed head.

"Eren, what are you doing here?" asked Grisha, who also bowed to Mikasa. Thank heavens his father was significantly calmer than his mother.

"Commander Levi let me go home for a few days, and Mikasa had to come with me."

Zeke, being the annoying older brother that he is, was a different story. He bowed to the Princess, who Eren noticed was turning red at the sight of his older brother's naked self.

"Welcome to our humble home, Princess Mikasa," Zeke reached out for her hand and kissed it.

Oh, for fuck's sake. Eren swatted his hand away and huffed, towing Mikasa with him inside their house.

He dumped their bags away in his bedroom (he whispered a small thanks to Carla for cleaning his room regularly), and they all sat in their small living room, awkward silence permeating the air (Zeke was now dressed as appropriately as he could manage).

"Please do not concern yourself with me or with Palace protocols," Mikasa spoke with the most solemn voice Eren has heard from her. The Jaeger family looked at her then exchanged nervous glances. "I am here like any other normal visitor, simply accompanying Eren."

Carla suddenly stretched out her arm and gently enclosed Mikasa's small hands in hers.

"Nonsense. You're not a visitor here. This is your home now, too."

Omake/Sneek Peek

Eren stood in the kitchen rummaging through the cabinet for ingredients. He always helped Carla cook during weekends, and Palace food, while undeniably delicious, tasted a bit different. Maybe he was just used to all his senses coming alive while watching how the food was cooked—the aroma of spices wafting up to his nose, the loud crackle of oil touching meat, the gradual change of colors—

"Are you sure you're not gonna set your house on fire?"

Mikasa sat on the dining table, her head cocked to the side and her judging gaze following his every movement. He rolled his eyes at her and walked to the fridge, taking out the chicken to let it defrost.

"I cook better than Niccolo, just wait and see."

"I highly doubt that. Niccolo worked as a chef in a five-star hotel."

"Let's have a bet then."

"It is unlawful for any member of the Royal Family to—"

"—to directly or indirectly take part in any form of activity that involves betting or wagering based on chance. Yeah, yeah, I know," he retorted, and Mikasa's eyebrows shot up, looking mildly impressed that he memorized a pretty obscure Royal Decree— Rico successfully drilled it into his brain.

"But this is like a contest, and it'll only be between us. I will cook anything you want, and if you like it, you will… let me watch the TV until twelve midnight."

She drummed her bony fingers on the table, contemplating the merits of breaking a Royal Decree in exchange for something possibly profitable. While grinning at her, Eren caught sight of the silver band on her ring finger, and he was surprised (and somehow elated?) that she's also wearing her ring regularly. He felt his heartbeat racing once again, something that's been happening lately on a daily basis whenever she's being -cringe- adorable.

"You watch too much TV, it kills your braincells. But alright. If you lose, you will stop putting up your feet on our couch."

"Deal. So, what do you want me to cook?"

She nibbled on her lower lip as she tried to think thoroughly of a dish she wanted to try. Eren was beginning to get nervous, imagining that she might blurt out something he isn't familiar with and he'd end up looking like a fool.

"There's this food that Sasha frequently ate. I always wanted to try it, but the Palace never allowed me to eat them," she began, and her face brightened considerably as she appeared to recall a fond memory in her mind. Eren only looked at her in anticipation.

"It's like a spicy soup that has its own cup with noodles on it. She always buys it in those convenience stores, and she puts egg, cheese, onions and other things on it. It sounds delicious."

Eren's jaw slackened.

Is she fucking serious?

"I don't know what it's called," she continued when Eren stayed quiet. "But I think Sasha referred to it as noodles in salt and chili broth."

Eren snorted at first, then he began shaking uncontrollably as he tried to control the sniggers coming out of his throat. It eventually became too much to bear, and then he just lost it and peals of laughter suddenly burst from within him. His body rocked back and forth as he howled hysterically, slapping his thighs and his eyes brimming with tears.

"That's— holy shit— Sasha you spawn of the devil— you haven't eaten instant ramen? Not once?"

Mikasa glared at him because clearly Eren was not taking her seriously, and it irked her more that she can't seem to understand what's so funny.

"And you want me to cook that for you?" Eren clutched on to his aching stomach from laughing too much, because she looked so serious and she always managed to surprise him, and he's reminded just how incredible Mikasa Ackerman is. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

She rose from the dining table and punched him in the arm.

A/N: Let me start first by saying that it was so difficult finishing this chapter. I was in the middle of writing when freaking leaks for the additional pages came out. I don't want to talk about 139 and the extra pages, but safe to say that it took a great deal of copium (LMAO) just to power through the pain, sadness and frustration I felt because jfc I already spent so much time over this, I am not gonna let it go to waste. If the quality went downhill as the chapter progressed, I apologize.

That said, I am still in limbo whether to continue this or not. I am not gonna lie, I think I will need more time to accept what happened to Eren and Mikasa, and to get over the fact that Yams just went on and butchered their love story. I love them so much that it hurts me personally and I need to get over it LOL. I am an emotional being, I am very sorry if you find this cringe.

If I do continue this, it would still take time because so much is going on right now and I would probably be only able to update when I get the time as a "break". I was actually already writing the Jaeger Household scenes until I realized that it's going to take a loooot more time to write them all, and it felt a bit different from the rest of the chapter, so I just wrapped up the usual ramen scene in korean dramas and inserted it here as sneak peek/extra. I hope it's fine.

Lastly, I hope this chapter was able to compensate for the long non-update. I was LOL-ing to myself being able to use the slang "crib" which was so 2000s (please note that the story is set at time similar to that year or a counterpart thereof, so the Internet still wasn't a thing haha). The political drama was just getting started, and I really do hope I find the motivation to continue this.

Thank you so much for reading, and please drop your thoughts. Stay safe always.

- nini, 20.5.2021