Chapter 1

What am I to You?

Eren left our side.

The letter we later received from him said he would entrust Zeke with everything.

The next we saw him, it was already too late.

I wonder...

If there was any other choice we could have made.

Maybe this was set in stone from the start.

Still...

I have to think.

What if...

That day...

I chose another answer?

Wouldn't it have come to something other than this...?

Mikasa was searching for Eren everywhere in Marley, worried that the enemy had captured him already. How did he manage to disappear so easily? It must've been before or during the meeting when Mikasa, Armin and the Survey Corps went to Kiyomi Azumabito's estate. Mikasa already checked the docks, the streets and was now checking the outskirts of Marley, entering a refugee camp. Today wasn't a successful day in general, finding out that building better relationships with other nations would be a difficult task due to Eldia's history. But despite the negative news, there's the chance based from Armin and Hange's positive outlook that by attending the "Association to Protect the Subjects of Ymir." Hopefully they will be friendly enough for Paradis Island to declare potential peace. But that wasn't on Mikasa's mind right now, her priority was finding Eren before worse comes to worst. She tried to remain calm in the situation, checking from left to right in hopes to find him.

"Eren.. Where are you?" Mikasa said to herself, feeling the tightness in her throat as it was beginning to look less hopeful that he'd be here.

But straight ahead of her, there she sees a man standing outlooking the tents ahead of him. Mikasa stops on her tracks, squinting her eyes to figure out who it could be. A gush of relief hits her, realising it was Eren right in front of her but instead of being happy, she couldn't help but be frustrated. Eren was always like this, disappearing by himself whether choice or getting kidnapped throughout the years, leaving Mikasa to try follow him and bring him back. Mikasa hurries over to him,

"Eren."

Mikasa stopped midway as she began reprimand the Eren from behind, "You do realise that you're our enemies' most wanted target, don't you? We've all been running around looking for you..."

Mikasa trailed off, watching Eren lift his arm up and was wiping something off his face. She then looked over his shoulder and saw familiar boy and who appeared to be his little brother and father inside a tent, waving at Eren and Mikasa 'hello.' Mikasa walked closer until she was standing beside Eren, a little confused on how and why Eren ended up with that boy she began to recognise from earlier that day;

"The boy from the market? Did something happen?"

"Not yet."

Mikasa glanced over to Eren who answered in a unclear way, returning her eyes back to the boy and his family and continued, "What do you mean? Where are we?"

"These people live here after losing their homes to war. Just like us. Regular life stopped for us one day. Everything was taken from us." Eren spoke, reminiscing whilst himself and Mikasa continue to look at the family in their tent. The father along with other adults surrounding the boy from the market in relief and joy as they hugged him. Eren finished his sentencing lifelessly,

"All of their freedom...Taken away."

The two stood in silence. It was a beautiful night as the tents' light made the atmosphere highlight the stars above Mikasa and Eren. It was true what Eren had said, regular life was taken away from them after the Fall of Shiganshina. From that day on, they suffered in a famine, the loss of their family and their home. To then joining the military, training to become soldiers to fight off titans, soon to then learn the truth of Paradis and then of course humanity outside the walls. Nothing for them was normal anymore, everyday living and their freedom was taken away completely.

"Mikasa." Eren said, breaking the silence between them as he turned his body slightly towards Mikasa. "Why is it that you care so much about me?"

"Huh?" Mikasa said, startled by Eren's question.

Eren was now looking directly at Mikasa, appearing to be persistent as they both stare at each other. Eren then furthered his question with, "Is it because I saved you when you were a kid? Or is it.."

Eren paused for a second, making Mikasa's heart beat a little slower as a slight sweat drop appeared on her cheeky only to reply to Eren going,

"Huh?"

"Because I'm family?"

"Huh?"

Eren, seemingly confident in what he was asking, was yet hiding this underneath pressure from what he was really trying to figure out. Mikasa heard Eren say words she'd never thought would escape his mouth as he asked her the question he was trying to get to this whole time,

"What...am I to you?"

As if someone had pulled on Mikasa's heart strings, a great burning sensation hits her face and knowing instantly she was blushing uncontrollably. This was all new for her, Eren was never someone to ask questions such as this. Mikasa always believed he already knew the answer to that. This was so out of the blue, yet she couldn't help but think had she been in a similar situation before. Perhaps in another life? It made Mikasa look up into Eren's eyes, seeing him pleading for something from her. Almost like he was yearning, hoping she'd say the right thing.

"Y-you're family." Mikasa stuttered, making Eren's face break into confusion as they stayed quietly in silence. There Mikasa could see Eren trying to hold back from looking hurt, or somewhat remain composed from her answer. Is that not what he wanted to hear?

"I'm.. Family?" Eren asked, trying to find clarification.

"Yes." Mikasa nodded, finding herself getting more unsure by his response but realised almost immediately what Eren's question really meant all along. "I-I mean no."

"No?" Eren said, raising his eyebrow and was now sweat dropping from Mikasa's sudden change in answer.

"No. You're more than that." Mikasa blushed heavily, escaping her eyes down to the ground. This was embarrassing for her, however something causes Mikasa to remember an event that happened just over 3 years ago when she was only 15. It made her realise that she'd already spoken to Eren about her feelings before.

Mikasa can remember that day as if she was reliving it. The pain in her ribs after being grabbed by a titan as she sat on her knees, but nothing would exude the agony she was experiencing in her heart when she watched the younger 15 year old Eren crying whilst also laughing in hysterics after witnessing their dear figure Hannes get eaten alive by the smiling titan. Where Eren cried how useless he was, that nothing has changed... But what broke her heart more was when he apologised to his mother, Carla Yeager. How sorry he was for letting her down. But Mikasa managed to build the courage to comfort to her dear friend, telling Eren how none of what he stated was true. It made her right there and then confess how she felt and spill everything on the table. Mikasa remembered his face looking back at her, both crying when they were close to the brink of death.

There's something I want to say...

Thank you... for being with me.

Thank you.. For teaching me... How to live.

Mikasa closed her eyes, those feelings she feels and sees of her younger self grabbing onto of the very scarf they held close to their heart. The very scarf that was given to her from Eren when all seemed lost in the cruel world after losing her home and family but was shown the beauty again through Eren. Mikasa hears her younger self voice say to Eren smiling,

Thank you... for wrapping this scarf.. around me.

Mikasa smiled, still leaving Eren standing there lost of what was going on between them. He watched her raise her head, tearing and blushing lightly up at Eren with that same smile. That same smile Mikasa gave him on that very day. Eren's face broke into a blank expression, his heart freezing as he listened to her confidently expressing;

"You're my dear. My beloved. I care so much about you because you are the most important person in my life, because you taught me how to live with purpose. You are what makes me strong.. You're right though.. Our freedom was taking away from us. Regular life left us since we were kids." Mikasa's eyes shimmered at Eren, letting out a faint smile and continued further, "That's why I joined the Survey Corps, to bring back those days. Those days we shared with Armin. But when I heard after we retaken Shiganshina ..."

Mikasa trailed off, feeling herself tear up as she reflects Eren's words when they were in jail telling her and Armin;

I have eight years left... or even less.

Mikasa reached out gently for Eren's hands, holding them to try give her strength on what she wanted to say. Eren remained silent, yet it didn't stop Mikasa from confessing on,

"And you only had less than 8 years... I couldn't eat...Sleep... Because I wanted to bring those days back.. I wanted more time to spend with you... Eren, I am tired of fighting." Mikasa admitted, a little shocked by her last sentence but raised her head up to Eren saying, "But I know you're tired too. You now only have less than 5 years to live... And if I am being honest, if bringing back those days... our freedom... meant running away from all this.. to live peacefully with you... Then.. I would do it in a heart beat."

Eren's hands began to tremble in Mikasa's soft embrace, looking absolutely stunned by what she'd just told him. He didn't expect any of this. Eren lowered his head, making Mikasa worried as she saw his whole body shaking and heard him lock his jaw shut. Mikasa began to regret what she told Eren and that she had ruined everything between them. Mikasa tried to prevent the tears swelling up in her eyes, checking up Eren in order to hide her embarrassment asking;

"Eren, i-..are you-"

"Can we?" Eren stuttered.

"What?"

Eren lifted his tale green eyes to her, he too holding back the tears in his expression. He'd looked like Mikasa had cracked something inside him, where his true self started to pour out to her. There she could see how truly tired he was from everything, yearning for Mikasa's suggestion to be true.

"To run away. Can we? Right now. If you meant what you said, c-can we..." Eren's voice began to crack, now squeezing her hand to reply to him.

Voices from the boy who was at the market earlier that day along with his family began to sound louder. Eren turned over to them, seeing the father begin to walk over to them, panicking in his face returned to Mikasa like time was running out. Mikasa stood there, feeling a rush of urgency through her body. It felt like eternity when really it was a second as Mikasa answered abruptly.,

"Y-yes." Mikasa then nodded assertively, "We can."

Eren's eyes widened and just like than he grabbed hold of her wrist, turning his heels quicker than the speed of light and forces Mikasa to run behind him. The father of the boy who was named Ramzi was shouting something, like he wanted them to stay. But it was too late, Eren and Mikasa were sprinting through the dried land as the stars gleamed above them. Mikasa for the first time was struggling to catch rhythm and pace with Eren, feeling his despair by only holding onto her wrist. Suddenly Eren dodged behind a tent, making Mikasa stumble behind him as he pulled her closer in and realised they were hiding from something. Mikasa recognises the voices of Armin, Connie, Jean and Sasha shouting out for Eren and Mikasa. They were close by the tent Eren and Mikasa were shielding beside. As the group were walking past the tent, the pair had their eyes on Armin the whole time as they watched their closet friend looking the most concern on their whereabouts. However Eren makes Mikasa and himself tip toe right until they were at the other side of the tent. Eren turned his head back to Mikasa, checking to see if Mikasa was consenting to what was happening. Mikasa nodded, making Eren left go of her wrist so she can instead grab hold of his hand. There Eren looked down to their hands, unfamiliar with them ever making physical contact like this before, but quickly adjusted as he squeezed her hand tightly and begins to make a run for it again.

As Eren and Mikasa run out towards the city of Marley, leaving the refugee camp and their closet friends, including Armin behind. That's when their long dream began... When the two of them... Abandoned everything.

Author's Note:

All Emerika fans hellloooo! Honestly. I think we all want some more Chapter 138 Cottage AU stories, hopefully you's all like my take on this. This is my side project whilst I am working on my main fanfic. I have no idea how long this fanfic will be, I do really want to explore Eren and Mikasa's relationship though- so maybe this could be a good size of a story. I guess you gotta stick around and see. Sorry if my Grammar aint that good either lol.

Coming soon will be "Chapter Two: Runaways."

See ya till then!