Mikasa

A young girl with shoulder-length jet-black hair closed the door after the last visitor. She brushed a dark strand behind her ear and sighed heavily. It's over, she thought with a relief. Suddenly, however, there was another voice inside her head, more realistic one. It's over, but only until next time.

She knew it was true.

The girl went to the kitchen feeling the chill on her shoulders. She was wearing a flowing blue dress that did not provide much warmth.

Mikasa hated this dress. If it had been her choice, she would never have worn it. Unfortunately, this piece of her wardrobe was chosen by the owner of this house, so she was stuck with a dress, and the dress was stuck with her.

One plus one equals two.

She opened the refrigerator and took out a small box. Mikasa took off the plastic wrap and put the box inside the microwave. Today she had no energy to prepare more complicated dish. She had to eat, although she didn't have much appetite. Anyway, the reheated dish was just fine.

Earlier that day, at the party, she was unable to swallow anything. There were some leftovers on the tables in the living room, but she felt sick just looking at them.

She froze when suddenly she heard footsteps in the corridor. The girl turned in that direction just as Grisha entered the kitchen.

Mikasa sucked a breath in.

An hour ago, he walked up the stairs with two women by his side. Women… They seemed to be more girls her age. Mikasa didn't even know if they were eighteen.

She was certain that she won't have to deal with him anymore that evening. Apparently he send off his companions sooner than she thought.

Yaeger grinned at the sight of her. He was wearing the same clothes that before. Bottle shirt with rolled up sleeves, dark pants, and elegant gold shoes. In the back, she saw several bodyguards, but they stayed in the hallway.

It was her everyday life. Grisha's men hovered around the property, carrying the guns. Even if she wanted to, she would never been able to escape from this place on her own.

The man walked towards her and put his hand on her bare shoulder. She trembled at his touch, wishing she could be at least a thousand kilometers from here.

Or for Eren to appear next to her.

"My dear, I am really thankful" Grisha said in a low, gruff tone. He slowly stretched the syllables. "You've outdone yourself tonight. Everyone talked about how beautiful you are. And how you took care of every detail. This pyramid of champagne glasses was a masterpiece. Mayor of Ragako couldn't stop admiring it".

"I'm glad, sir" Mikasa's voice was low and lined with fear. She tried to take a step back, but Grisha only pulled her closer.

"Sir? I've asked you to call me by name. I know I'm not your father and never will be one, but... I took you in because I wanted to give you a second chance. You can repay me with this little detail, okay?"

"Yes, s… Grisha" Mikasa stammered, looking away. The girl felt her heart racing with nervousness. She almost jumped when the microwave made a loud noise.

Unfortunately, Mikasa's appetite was completely gone.

Grisha laughed out loud and hugged the girl even tighter.

"What a timid birdie you are. Am I that frightening?" The man asked, taking Mikasa's chin and lifting it up so that the girl had to look at him.

"N-no, of course not..." Mikasa answered weakly. She could smell alcohol in Grisha's breath. "Sorry, I have to clean up after the party."

"Oh, fuck it. The servants will take care of it tomorrow. You must relax now, birdie" Grisha was still holding the girl's chin, forcing her to look at him. "How about a hot bath?"

"Mikasa? Are you here?" said the voice behind them.

The girl felt a relief when Eren appeared on the threshold. His hair was flowing. He put a leather jacket on his shoulders. Beneath the jacket he had a black t-shirt. He was also wearing gray jeans and black boots. A sports backpack was hung on his left shoulder.

His face was smooth and calm as he entered the kitchen, but the moment Eren's gaze fell on Mikasa and Grisha, standing so close to each other, he looked as he had been struck by lightning. He widened his eyes and clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.

"Eren, what a surprise!" Grisha exclaimed, lifting the corner of his mouth. However, he did not move away from the girl who was trembling with fear. "You're a little late, our meeting had finished."

"Yeah, I can see that" the boy said through clenched teeth. Though he seemed infuriated, he was clearly trying to remain calm. "I'm here for her".

"Of course" Grisha said and took a step back. The girl quickly moved away from the man and walked over to Eren, staring at the floor. "Our birdie did a great job today. She has diplomacy in her blood."

"Then she definitely should rest now" Eren muttered, crushing his father with a murderous gaze. Mikasa sensed that the boy was trembling with anger, so she quickly took him by the arm.

"Good night" she said to Grisha, then scuttled out of the kitchen, dragging Eren with her. They passed Grisha's bodyguards, who were standing in the corridor. They never left their boss side.

Walking next to each other, the teenagers went to the first floor, where Mikasa's bedroom was located. The girl pulled Eren inside and locked the door. Then she allowed herself to take a deep breath. After a moment she turned and met the eyes of the taller boy fixed on her. There was a mix of different emotions in Eren's eyes, but indignation and concern surfaced the most.

"Did he hurt you?" The boy asked, taking a step towards Mikasa. The girl shook her head quickly. "You can tell me".

"It's okay" his friend interrupted him, looking back. She felt a little safer with Eren, but she never could feel completely safe. Not while living in this house. "You don't need to worry. I know him, he won't hurt me".

"If only he puts a finger on you, I promise that I will…" Eren didn't finish. Mikasa covered his mouth with her hand. The girl shook her head slowly.

"Don't say it out loud, someone might hear you. It won't happen, Eren. I can take care of myself, remember? After all, I grew up under his roof". Suddenly she smiled a little. "Do you remember our self-defense lessons? I've always won with you."

"Don't bring the past into this" Eren muttered. "Besides, I was always giving you a head start".

"Yeah, you wish!".

Eren stared at the girl for a moment, then stepped forward and enclosed her in his arms. Mikasa's eyes widened slightly. Her heart sped up, but this time it was not because of fear. She heard Eren's soft voice next to her ear.

"I'll get you out of here."

"Eren..." The girl sighed, then stepped back. "We've talked about this. I can't stand up to him. You saw what he did to the Colossus."

The boy was silent for a moment.

They haven't talked until now about what happened to Hoover. It turned out he was cooperating with the police. When Grisha found out about this, he punished him in the most horrible way.

Eren knew what was his father's true motive. He wanted to give an example for others. He wanted to show them what will happen if they decide to betray him one day.

"Bert was an idiot. He should be more careful. It is known that Grisha has half of Trost in his pocket. Not to mention the rest of the country."

"Exactly. And because of that we have to do as he says. I don't want anything to happen to you, Eren" Mikasa whispered, staring into the boy's green eyes. She felt her heart speed up again just as Eren smiled back at her.

"Nothing bad will happen to me". The boy pulled her onto the bed, where they both sat comfortably. Eren took the backpack off his shoulder and handed it to his friend. "You are probably tired, but maybe you want to watch something? I have your favorite snacks. I have a feeling that no one will disturb us today".

"Yes, I'd love that" Mikasa replied with smile. For the first time today, she smiled sincerely.

Though her everyday life looked more like a nightmare these days, there were also moments of happiness, like right now. She wanted to savour them for as long as she could.

Levi

Ackerman lifted his glass for a toast.

Their favorite pub was full that night, but somehow they found a free table. Mike called it a "destiny of the drunk", but Levi had a different theory about it. In his opinion, it was connected to the bartender's stealthy glances, which he was throwing at Hanji. It happened every time they came to this place. Although he kept this theory to himself, he waited for the right moment to torment his friend with his conclusion.

"For the chocolate souffle!" Hanji announced, smiling broadly. "Levi, Erwin, it's all thanks to you that Shadis liked the dish so much".

"Not only does he want more, he also asked for a recipe" added Erwin, lifting the corner of his mouth. He sat next to Mike, who was playing with a straw in his drink. Levi was sitting across from Erwin, and when he met his gaze, he looked back at him. "At first he didn't like it very much... But Levi skillfully persuaded him".

"These skills are in his blood!" The four eyes shouted cheerfully, hugging Levi's neck and laughing out loud.

"When will you bake the next batch?" Mike asked, leaning in toward the detectives who seated opposite.

Levi grabbed Hanji's forehead and pushed his friend away from him.

"I'm sick of this culinary code" he grunted in a whisper, and leaned forward as well. "Tomorrow we'll meet the brat at the appointed place. Shadis wants us to collect some information first. If the kid sets us up, the old man wants to have at least that much".

Everyone agreed that it was a smart move. Before they start helping Eren, the boy have to give them all the information he had about Grisha's business.

As they ordered more drinks, they began to discuss more ordinary topics: movies they watched recently, family stuff, home renovations. Suddenly, Hanji and Mike began to sing loudly. Their favorite song was just playing on the radio. Levi rolled his eyes and exchanged a glance with Erwin.

As usual, they understood each other without any words.

Smith smiled at him for a little longer. Levi finally looked in other direction. Hanji was babbling about the two dogs she was currently looking after while volunteering at a nearby animal shelter.

"The golden retriever's name is Sawnie, and the german shepherd is called Bean. They are just too cute!" The woman was delighted. She showed to her friends pictures of the dogs, which she had on her phone.

Suddenly a tall figure grew up next to them.

"Would you like anything else?" The slim bartender asked, looking at the four customers. He had dark blonde short hair that fell over his forehead, parted in the middle, and light brown eyes. The moment he looked in Hanji's direction, his cheeks flushed a little.

"One more round" Erwin announced, and moved all the empty glasses closer to the bartender.

"I would like something else" Hanji replied, looking up. "You can surprise me".

"Sure..." the bartender smiled and stared into Hanji's eyes a little longer.

"Moblit!" A voice suddenly came from behind the counter. "You have more customers! Get your ass right here!"

The bartender looked embarrassed. He quickly scooped the empty glasses off the table and went back to work. Hanji glanced after him with raised eyebrows, and when she looked at the faces of the men sitting at the table with her, she frowned.

"What?" She sighed, knowing perfectly well what was going on. "What can I do about my personal charm?"

The three detectives laughed loudly.

When they received another round, they continued talking about non-work related stuff. Levi liked these meetings, they allowed him to forget about everything.

Mike, as usual, was the first to leave. He was the biggest sleepy-head in their team for a reason. Erwin left after Mike. He wished his friends good night and went out.

Levi and Hanji stayed at the bar for a while longer.

Erwin was Ackerman's work partner and they got along the best. Although his relationship with Hanji was also one of the most important bonds in his life. Zoe irritated him quite often, but when he was with her, he could just be himself.

"Okay, it's time to go" Levi said finally. His eyes looked more tired than usual.

"Wait, just one more thing. Is everything okay?" Hanji asked, looking at Ackerman with concern. "You seem drawn in thought lately".

Levi raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what his friend was talking about.

"What do you mean? I'm worried about work, that's all".

"Are you sure? You would tell me if something was wrong?".

"You? Never" Levi smiled, taking his wallet out of his pocket.

The friends settled the bill and left the pub, followed by the gaze of the tall waiter. They walked in silence to the intersection where their paths diverged.

"So, tomorrow's a big day? Better get some sleep, Ackerman" Hanji winked at him.

"You too, Zoe. You know that bartender has a crush on you?" Levi asked, shifting from foot to foot. He was tired, but he couldn't help himself. Especially when he saw his friend's face blush.

"Yea, I know. I'm still waiting til he'll finally ask for my phone number. Well, the world belongs to the brave ones!"

Hanji hugged Levi briefly, despite his loud objections. Then she walked away.

When Levi got home, he took the shower first. Of course, he also had checked all the rooms, looking for an unexpected guest. Fortunately, his house turned out to be completely empty.

Ackerman watered a few more flowers, which should only be given water in the evening, and then he went straight to bed.

Falling asleep wasn't easy. Recently, it was more difficult than usual.

The same thing was happening again.

The walls seemed to tighten around him. Was this some early case of claustrophobia? Levi closed his eyes, trying to get the strange feeling out of his head.

He had no idea how long he was just laying there, lost in the dark thoughts. He just couldn't fall asleep.

Sleep didn't come until the early morning. Just before dozing off, when he was on the very edge of his consciousness, it occurred to him what might be the cause of his state.

After waking up, the thought faded away.