"I'm not going." Eren said as he lay on his bed, starring at the ceiling.
"Like hell you are." Mikasa retorted. "I promised your mom that I would stick with you no matter what happened. You are going to the group meeting today."
Eren sat up irritated. "Mikasa you don't have to take care of me! I'm not a child. Just, leave me alone." Tears began to well in his eyes but he fought them back.
Mikasa knew better. She took a seat next to him on his bed. "They were my parents too, you know." She placed a hand on top of one of his balled up fists. "It's not easy to lose the people you love a second time around."
Eren loosened his grip and sighed.
"Please. Come with me one time. If you don't like it I won't make you go again. Just once. Just try it for me. I don't want to do this alone." Mikasa voice hitched slightly on her last few words.
Reluctantly Eren caved in to her request. "Fine. I'll go for today. But we are walking there."
Mikasa nodded calmly, agreeing to Eren's demands. He had not gotten into any motorized vehicle since after the night of the accident.
"I'll come knock on your door in a couple of hours from now. Try to get some rest. It looks like you haven't slept all night." With that, the dark haired girl left the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.
Eren fell back onto his bed. Sleep was hardly an option. He hadn't slept well in two weeks. The gears in his mind were constantly turning. He kept thinking of every possible thing he could've done that would've saved his parent's lives. He should have asked them to stay in that night and spend time as a family. He should've asked them if he and Mikasa could join them. Even if they died as well at least they would all be together. He should've never started that argument….
"Eren wants to join the military and fight on the front lines." Mikasa said as soon as they came home from school that day.
Carla Jaegar froze. "Eren you absolutely will not! You will finish up your schooling and attend college!"
"You can't decide my future for me Mom! Fighting on the front lines is extremely honorable and I want to protect my country." He spat back. "Mikasa why did you tell her?" Eren was fuming.
"It's a good thing she did tell me! You will die out there. Hardly anyone comes back anymore. No child of mine is going out to war to get shot at." Carla matched her son's intensity.
"What's all the yelling about?" Grisha Jaegar asked as he hung up is set of keys next to the other set on the hook.
"Your son wants to join the military and fight on the front lines and I told him no. I'm not having one of my children returned to me in a bloody mess of limbs!"
"Now Carla, Eren has every right to make his own choices." Grisha stated. His wife was taken aback and the smile on Eren's face grew. Mikasa remained stoic as usual. "But Eren you will attend college before you make any decision to fight in the military. I want you to really think this over."
"But Dad! That's completely unfair. That'll be at least an extra four years that I'll end up wasting. I know what I want to do!" the boy pouted.
"You will not go against my orders, Son!"
On that note Eren trudged out of the living room and straight to his own room slamming the door behind him.
Carla and Grisha began to talk about their son's temper has Mikasa quietly migrated to the kitchen to start dinner for herself and Eren. Tonight was Grisha and Carla's anniversary and they were going out somewhere to eat.
An hour later Eren stalked out of his room and plopped down at his spot at the kitchen table. Mikasa had just finished making their dinner as Grisha and Carla came in to say goodbye to their kids.
"Where are you guys going out to eat?" Mikasa asked.
Carla smiled at the girl. She had always liked Mikasa ever since the night Grisha brought her to the house after her parent's death. "We're heading to this new fancy restaurant called Sina."
Eren huffed and rolled his eyes.
Grisha noticed this immediately. "Listen Eren, I know you're upset about earlier but we are doing this for your own good."
"Whatever."
"When we get back I have something to show you down in the basement. Try to be in a better mood then." Grisha patted his son's head and led his wife out the door grabbing one of the sets of car keys.
"Have fun tonight!" Mikasa called out. Grisha and Carla gave her a friendly wave as they closed the front door.
Eren internally celebrated at the thought of getting to see something that his father locked up in the basement. No one was ever allowed down there.
Mikasa finished setting the table and the siblings ate their dinner in silence. Afterwards the both did the dishes and moved into the living room. Mikasa was working on some form of embroidery while Eren was sitting on the couch twiddling his thumbs, wondering about what his father would show him when he got back.
All of the sudden the phone began to ring.
Eren woke up abruptly in a cold sweat to the sound of a phone ringing. He fumbled around until he found the device and answered it.
"Hey Eren." A chipper voice answered on the other end.
"Hi Armin. What'd you call for?"
"Mikasa told me that you guys would be coming to the group today and I was wondering if you'd both like to join me for a cup of coffee before the gathering."
Eren fiddled with a loose string on his t-shirt. "Uhh…sure we can meet you."
"Great! I'll see you two at Café Maria in twenty."
The line went dead as Eren took a deep breath. He got out of bed for the second time that day and made a beeline for the bathroom. Rumpled clothes, messy hair and bloodshot eyes. He never really cared much for first impressions anyways. After exiting the bathroom he knocked on Mikasa's door to inform her of the little detour they would be making in their trip today. She was quite thrilled to say the least.
At least one of them was.