They're six when they meet at school for the first time, Eren the child constantly being told to Go sit back down, Eren, while Mikasa is the new student in their class who arrives half-way through the school year. When Eren is removed from his seat next to Armin ("You're disrupting him, we're going to sit you at a table by yourself for now, Eren."), Mikasa is placed next to him instead; their quiet personalities overlap in a way that initially causes an awkwardness and almost dislike that young children are prone to.
It isn't until Armin accidentally slices his finger on paper that they're brought together, for it's Mikasa who takes his hand and says, "It's okay, I'll go get the teacher. So don't cry, okay?" She says it so reassuringly that, with water pricking the corners of his eyes, Armin only nods in response, watching her leave their table to tug at their teacher's skirt for help.
He likes her and says as much to Eren later at lunch that day, asking, "Can we sit with Mikasa? I want to sit with her today."
"But why?" Eren whines, looking over at Connie and Jean who are talking about their lunches with Sasha. She's waving a chicken nugget in their faces before taking a bite off of her dinosaur's head. "I want to sit next to Connie."
"But she's alone," Armin points out, inching her way with a few steps in her direction.
"So?" Eren, feeling rather fed up with Armin and his questions, goes to sit next to Connie; he pays no mind to his best friend going to sit with the new girl in the class.
When they're dismissed from the tables to go play, Eren convinces Armin to play tag with him, despite the fact that Armin repeatedly keeps saying he wants to go play on the swings. (Truly, their friendship is based more on the fact that their parents are long-time friends and neighbors than their own willingness to play together.)
It's as Eren's running after Armin that he trips on a lunch bag left unattended on the woodchips; without grace he slips and knocks head-first into a pair of knobby knees that are surely going to leave a large bump on his forehead.
When he looks up, rubbing his head with loud and vocal complaints, that he realizes the person he bumped into is none other than Mikasa, whose looking down at him with wide eyes as she says, "Are you okay?" As she makes no move to help him, he stands up, his face red as he reaches out to push her by her shoulders.
"Watch where you're going!" he yells, as if it were her lunch pail and her fault he fell. He turns around and runs off before she has a chance to respond, leaving Armin to help lift her by her arms to stand back up.
It isn't until later, when they're both playing with chalk together outside Eren's house, waiting for his mom to finish making food, that Armin says, "That was really mean of you to push Mikasa."
Eren, who has already forgotten about the incident entirely, looks up from his chalk drawing of an alligator chomping on cookies, sharp teeth evident in his wide mouth. "It's her fault."
"You ran into her first." Armin is drawing a small scale Earth, attempting to replicate the planet as best he knows. "You should say sorry when you see her."
"It's not my fault!" Eren throws his chalk to the cement, glaring at Armin with as much anger as he can muster at his friend; his face, however, is already turning a tell-tale shade of pink with his ears beginning to flush as well. "She's not even my friend."
"She's my friend. I like her," Armin says, picking up the blue Eren had tossed and beginning to add more color to his artwork.
"Well, I don't," Eren says, using his thumb to smudge some of the crocodile's sharp teeth away.
At recess the next school day, Eren finds that Armin is not talking to him, and while the first thing he says to Connie is, "Make Armin come play with us," he's sure it has something to do with the new girl, Mikasa, because Armin is playing with her and not him. He watches as they play on the swings together, Mikasa giving Armin a push before she gets on her own swing.
His lower lip juts out into a large, prominent pout, and Sasha points at him, saying, "Eren looks mad!" He turns away from her and walks to the field, scanning the ground until he finds what he's looking for.
With more confidence then he feels at six, he walks over to where Armin and Mikasa are, standing directly in front of her, holding out his hand that's squishing a beaten-up yellow dandelion.
"For you," he murmurs, avoiding her gaze, looking at the woodchips beneath the swings instead.
There's silence as he hears her footsteps descend from the swings then walk closer to him. It surprises him when he feels a soft kiss on his cheek as she says, "Thank you."
He reaches out, putting his hands on her shoulders as he says, "Don't kiss me! I don't want to tell on you, okay?" His cheeks are red and ears pink as he avoids Armin's gaze.
Armin watches their interactions from his swing, looking substantially happier than before. Eren doesn't wait for either of them as he turns around to go and play kickball with Connie.
Eren is thirteen, almost fourteen, when he finds out Jean has a crush on Mikasa and he's still thirteen (almost fourteen) when he finds out that Mikasa probably has a crush on Jean, too.
He finds out from Armin, but only on a Saturday night when he asks, "Why isn't Mikasa here? It's Saturday. We always watch movies together on Saturday's."
Armin is reaching for a handful of skittles as he says, "She had a date with Jean today. They're going to a movie together. He asked her out on Friday."
"She's going to a movie with him on our movie night?" For some reason, this bothers Eren more than he wants to admit. He reaches for the television remote, flipping on cartoons to a show he doesn't like but also knows Armin doesn't enjoy either, and for the moment, he's feeling rather spiteful at the wrong person. "Why would he even ask her out, anyway?"
"Yes, why would anyone ask out our pretty, kind friend?" Armin replies with no lack of sarcasm. He takes the remote from Eren as he starts browsing through the pay-per-view movie options before standing up and walking to the DVD rack in the living room instead. "They talk a lot. Maybe she likes him, too. What movie do you want to watch?"
"He likes her? She like-likes him? How long have they liked each other? They only have one class together!" Eren glances down at the table and finds, with rising irritation, that there are M&Ms on the table that won't be eaten because those are Mikasa's favorite, but she isn't here to touch them. He's already set out three glasses for soda and his mother has ordered a large pizza—all of these things for three people and he finds himself irrationally upset that she isn't there to take her share of these foods.
"For a few months, probably? Maybe she doesn't like him, I don't know." Armin is staring at him with something akin to sympathy as he holds a DVD in his hands. "I think he tried to kiss her but she said he needed to ask her out first. And that she'd have to ask her parents when he did, but I guess it all worked out."
Eren glances at the DVD before Armin goes to put it on, aware it is some sci-fi movie that he's sure is going to bore him to tears, but Mikasa isn't here to take his side on an action flick and he doesn't care enough to fight Armin on his choice of DVD. His mind is attempting to wrap around the information Armin has told him.
As Armin sits back down on the couch, Eren glances down at the floor, where a DVD he'd picked earlier—Fight Club, because he'd been telling Mikasa to watch it for months—lies. Mikasa isn't here to watch the movie he'd picked special for her and it stings him a little more than it ought to. He nudges the movie under the couch, hoping Armin hadn't noticed its presence earlier.
When Mikasa comes to his house the next day, she shows up with a pretty red flower in her hair.
"Did your boyfriend get that for you?" Eren asks, unable to resist a small, snide comment immediately.
"No, it's called an iris, and my mom picked it from her garden." Mikasa seems unperturbed and Eren finds himself even more irritated at her when she doesn't deny that Jean is her boyfriend.
"Armin isn't here, if you're looking for him. Did you want to come in? There's pizza left from last night, it was too much for two people." Eren opens the door for her a crack and, despite his snarky comment, is still embarrassed to see that he'd forgotten to clean up their candy from the night before, too. (Those damn M&Ms still sit, the bowl completely full and untouched, still waiting for slim fingers to grab and eat them.)
"I'm not looking for Armin." Mikasa shifts side-to-side, nibbling on her lower lip as she looks up at Eren; he's surprised to see that her face is a pretty pink and wonders what she's thinking.
"The movie would've been better with you," she admits, ducking her head before finding the confidence to raise it once more. "Would you come see a movie with me today, Eren?"
He's not sure if it's a date—he's never been on one and never had the confidence to ask any girl out—but he finds himself smiling and avoiding her eyes as he mutters, "Yeah, of course. Let me see if my mom will drive us?"
Later in the day as they sit on Eren's porch talking about the movie and Mikasa twirling her flower between her fingers, they kiss for the first time—awkward and messy but quite lovely, their faces as red as the flower in her hands.
"Eren, you're going to make us late, hurry up and come out of your room!" Mikasa's voice is loud and even from his room and behind closed doors Eren knows she's probably pacing and pulling at her hair and gown.
Eren didn't want to go to prom. Neither did Mikasa, in all actuality, but Sasha had begged for a friend and even Annie was going (with Armin, no less, but it was more a friend date than a real one, or so they said). She'd still said no, though hadn't realized that at the other end of the lunch tables Connie was working his (undignified and ungraceful) charm on Eren.
He still wasn't sure how it happened. He couldn't remember actually agreeing to go with the group. But he'd still somehow said sure, fine, go away, Connie and by default that meant his date was his girlfriend—aka, Mikasa. She hadn't been pleased, hadn't wanted to go pick a gown and then be forced to buy a boutonnière and then have to tell him what colors her gown was (red) for him to match his tie and her corsage, too.
But they'd done it, much to their chagrin and their parents' enjoyment. Eren's mom had helped him buy the corsage for her and his dad had fixed up his tie (it wasn't a perfect knot, as his father didn't often wear ties either, but it would suffice for the evening). He glances at his reflection in the mirror once more and dabs on expensive cologne that isn't his before opening the door and stepping out.
He regrets not doing it sooner, for Mikasa certainly looks beautiful, despite the worry lines creasing her face because god dammit, Eren, the limo is waiting. He still doesn't hesitate to take her hand in his and kiss it. Her pacing stalls and her face—just for a moment—slackens into a gentle expression before she sighs and pulls him closer to her.
"Your boutonnière," she murmurs and he sees that in her other hand she is holding it. He stands patient, waiting for her to pin it to his tux before he kisses her cheek.
"Your corsage is on the counter. Let me put it on, we'll take a few pictures, and then go. I'm sure our parents outside are dying for last-minute pictures." His statement doesn't leave room for her to question him and as he walks to the kitchen to grab her corsage off the table, he fiddles with it for a moment between his fingers.
It's a red rose, one he hadn't been sure was right at first, because his mom had told him to be creative. But her dress is red and a red rose would certainly show he loved her (he hoped it would, because he wasn't too great with his words, but affectionate actions and gestures he was capable of). It was still cool from being placed in the fridge for an extra hour or two of life and he touched the petals one last time before walking to the living room where she was waiting. With her wrist outstretched to him and a small smile on her face, he slips it around her before stepping back to admire her.
Certainly, red is her color. The sleeveless, floor-length dress is cut delicately, tight around the middle before fishtailing at the end, with a deep V-shape between her breasts (he certainly appreciates the view, though he doubts the dress was her first pick) that is lined with faux-diamonds. It's pretty but simple, for all she has on for jewelry is a single silver bangle. Her hair is done up without too much effort, a simple bun, but pinned behind her ear is a single red flower (it looks familiar, though he can't quite place why).
"You look beautiful." He says it with such sincerity and honesty her face lights up and he knows she's pleased.
There's little time for her to be embarrassed as she says, "Let's go take pictures, they're waiting in the limo for us. I'm sure Connie and Sasha have already eaten all the snacks by now."
"Alright," he replies, leaning in to kiss her beneath her flower and next to her ear. When she shivers at his touch—just slightly, so subtly he almost misses it—he smiles and mouths, I love you before they leave.
I love you are also the last words Eren says to her before bed one night, right as he's about to step out the door, aware that the following day will certainly be one of his most life changing as well as hers. He already knows he's going to have a difficult time falling asleep without her in his arms.
That night before he falls asleep, he dreams of a little boy who pushed a small girl he didn't know, watches as her eyes well with tears because she's new and upset and has no friends except for a little blonde boy who finds her kind.
When he wakes, it's early in the morning, but the day is already hustling and bustling; he finds himself tossed around in an array of plans and questions but all he's aware of is that he's supposed to get himself ready before anyone, so he does. He thinks of Mikasa and wonders if she's being poked and prodded too, if she's already frustrated by the obscene amount of people trying to help them.
He dresses himself in his new suit, puts on a tie, fixes and adjusts his hair. He takes deep breaths in the mirror, smiles with as much sincerity as possible, and says to himself, "You will be an okay husband. She will be a fantastic wife."
"She's going to be a wonderful mom, too," Armin says from behind him, startling Eren, who thought he'd been alone. Armin is dressed in his tux, a corsage of white tucked into his clothes to signify him as the best man. He smiles at Eren, sheepish for a moment, before he says, "I tried knocking a few minutes ago but you didn't answer… I wanted to make sure you weren't getting cold feet."
"No, no cold feet." Eren hesitates before turning to Armin and asking, "Do you think I'm good enough for her?"
"No," comes Connie's voice behind Armin. Connie laughs for a second before he says, "But you'll be okay for her and she'll be too good for you so somewhere in there it'll balance out."
"Thanks for the words of encouragement," Eren replies dryly, swallowing as he assesses himself once more. If nothing else reassures him, at least he knows Mikasa will be beautiful in her gown.
As Mikasa is watching Krista begin to walk down the aisle, she starts to fidget once more. Her heels are already aching in her too-tall stilettos and her tight dress is pinching at her left hip. The clip holding her veil is tugging at her hair and Sasha won't shut up about how excited she is to go down the aisle right before the bride. (Mikasa is regretting her choice to place Sasha before her instead of Krista, who would certainly be far quieter and more respectful in this moment.)
As Sasha begins to walk, it's her mom who approaches her holding her bouquet and it's her mom who places a reassuring hand on Mikasa's, steadying her nerves for just a minute. "Before you go out," her mom starts, "I just wanted you to know that I love you. You're going to make a great wife to Eren and he's going to be a devoted husband to you. It isn't always going to be easy, but you'll both make it work. You love each other enough for that much."
It takes a lot to make Mikasa cry, but even she can feel the tears welling up. "Mom, don't make me cry right now!" She wipes the tears away slowly, wanting to avoid smudging any of her makeup before heading out. She takes a few deep breaths before she leans in to kiss her moms cheek. "I love you, please go sit down before I go out, I want you to be there."
"Of course." Her mom smiles and squeezes her hand one last time before handing over the bouquet and as she leaves out a side door, Mikasa watches it open and close behind her, finding that she is now left alone. When the music changes for the last time, she straightens her posture and holds her flowers a little closer to her chest. When the doors finally open for her she clutches her bouquet tightly in her hands before beginning to walk, taking her final steps from her old life into her new.