It was loud at the airport. It always was she thought to herself sliding her headphones over her ears. Mikasa decided against the private Jet the following morning, there was no actual need and she doubted Eren would be flying in, much less from California. He had moved away three days after moving out of their shared condo. She had only known because Armin had let her know. She had been hoarded up in her apartment, eyes red and swollen but she could no longer cry. No matter how much she hydrated her body had refused to cry. She had known the end was coming for so long she should have had an easier time accepting it.

She closes her eyes a few times trying to blink away the memories. Trying to clear her mind of everything and anything that had to with him. He had always affected her life; she had just never imagined it would be this way. Her steely eyes open once more as her flight is being called and she boards the plane, her wide-framed glasses still on her face when she takes her seat. Thankfully no one recognized her, which wasn't unusual. While she was popular in the mainstream media she was thankfully still able to navigate through the sea of people that was California. Who wanted a picture of Ackerman with the possibility of a Karadashian wandering near by? Something she had learned early in the business, there is always someone more exciting than you.

They wanted to know whom their favorite star was with, what they were doing and why they were doing it. A seemingly random person in a black tracksuit and big glasses hardly called for attention.

The flight although long passed by swiftly as she read over the script of the new movie she was set to star in the following month and before long she was heading for the car service she had her Assistant Sasha pre-request. She was so preoccupied checking her text and Emails she almost bumped into the person in front of her. She quickly looked up, the apology already on her lips when it instantly morphed into a grin. She could recognize that button nose anywhere.

"Armin." Her voice is much too gentle to be considered an exclamation but the joy in it is undeniable. It's all too easy lifting her arms and throwing them around his neck, pulling her body close to his own as she breathes in the familiar scent of home. She could remember the days when Armin was no taller than her shoulders, remembered the days he had been picked on as a child for being so much smaller than everyone else in their class, this was something that she and Eren had never allowed and no one was more surprised than he himself when he shot up their sophomore year. He and Eren had both been taller than her the rest of their high school career and she was glad that her best friend in the world found confidence eventually, even if it took a physical change to give him that.

"Now I know miss independent doesn't need anyone picking her up at the airport but I had arranged with Sasha to pick you up. Don't be too mad at her for lying to you" he chuckles as he steps back from their embrace. He reaches for her bag sliding it over his own shoulder before wrapping his arm around her slender frame leading her towards the exit.

"I will try not to be, considering the two of you are always scheming behind my back" she teases.

Stepping into the crisp October New York air she takes a deep breath letting it sink in. She shivers and subconsciously reaches for her scarf. A scarf she hadn't worn in months. A scarf that was tucked away in a box with other things she couldn't look at just yet. It catches her off guard but the silent pang in her heart surprises her most of all. She instead she lifts her hand further and pulls off her glasses trying, the overcast afternoon making them unnecessary and the motion helping her recover from the slight misstep. "So are we taking a taxi or?" she knew he had a car but she could never be sure.

They had grown up in New Jersey, which meant spending plenty of time in New York. It was here after all like many others before her where she had started her career.

"Nah I have the car. The drive shouldn't be too bad. It's not like we are heading into Manhattan or god forbid Jersey." It was a familiar joke, even when they had all lived in jersey they liked to joke that they were from New York. There was just something exciting about the big city. Everyone had assumed they would move there when they finished high school but in the end only Armin had, and even then only after Law school. He had never adapted to the California weather and his bride was happy to go where he went.

"Oh yeah. Why would we do something like that?" she jokes back as they walk towards the parking garage, falling into his familiar steps.

"I really did miss you."

It's about an hour later that she finds herself on Armin and Annie's deck, a glass of wine in her hand and her adorable goddaughter on her lap, her chubby fingers tugging on her hair. The deck was already littered with a few of their friends, even when the party wasn't until the next day everyone took to congregating at Armin's house when in town. It could hardly be helped considering most of them lived out of state, or over in Jersey.

Annie sat across from Mikasa a smile on her face as she watches her daughter grab another chunk of her dark hair and tug. They both laugh and Mikasa puts down her glass to untangle the baby's tiny fingers from her hair.

"What made you grow it out?" the question is innocent but Mikasa glances up at Annie wary all the same.

"They wanted it longer for the final movie in the trilogy. I just haven't gotten around to cutting it."

The conversation shifts a few times and Mikasa finds herself able to relax in the comfortably setting. The wine gives her a happy buzz and the people here don't treat her like Mikasa the movie star, instead they treat her like the girl they have always known. It's around nine when she is in the kitchen, laughing with their friend Bert about something that a sudden hush descends on those gathered in the living room. Bert and her glance at each other for a moment before heading over to check out what happened.

It's too late that she realizes her mistake, and as she walks into the living room she is confronted with those same eyes she too often thought about. The eyes, which color no matter how often she had looked at, she could never seem to recall correctly later.

There standing by the door was Eren.

Her own eyes go wide and she takes an involuntary step back. He has an easy smile on his face and his hair is wind tousled. He looks good, he had always looked good, but he looks so different from the beat down man she had last seen. He had been working out, that much was obvious even through his shirt, and as he shrugs off his jacket already greeting those gathered she forgets what to do with her hands. She glances down at them as if they were some foreign objects as she tries to regain her cool demeanor. She wasn't one to become flustered. At least not generally.

Bert clears his throat next to her and she looks up confused only to find Eren now standing in from of her, a strange look on his face and she notices to late that he has spoken and she has missed what he said.

"I'm sorry what?" she half mumbles before glancing over at Bert for help.

Eren laughs a familiar laugh and her heart stutters in her chest once more. Fuck.

"I said hello Mikasa, I wasn't aware you had gone deaf since the last time I saw you" it was a joke, she knew it was and she somehow finds herself able to smile back at him.

"Hi Eren. Yeah it's been a while. Nice to see you" the words are too fast, anything but nonchalant and this was not the way things were supposed to be. She had never been the one who couldn't speak. She had never been the one who felt out of place.

He smiles nodding at her once before moving on, clearly done with the conversation. It had been a greeting, nothing but a greeting and yet she was ready to scream. All those months away from each other and that's all he had to say.

She finds herself at a lost, making herself move towards a rest room where she stands a lot longer than necessary before turning on a sink and splashing herself with some cold water. She needed to get out of here.

It takes her a few minutes to say goodbye to everyone, not bothering to go out to the deck where Eren was talking to Armin about something that was clearly hilarious, she was sure he wouldn't miss her.

She ask Annie to tell Armin she is hitching a ride with Reiner who is staying at her same hotel and that she will see them tomorrow for the party.

The drive is short and before too long she finds herself alone in her room. After a long cold shower where she replays her now in hindsight insignificant conversation with Eren too many times to be considered healthy she dons a nightgown and lays down. She is already in bed, lights off when her phone goes off. She is mindless as she reaches for it. Most likely Sasha checking in only to be shocked by what she instead receives.

SMS: Eren

Do you still stay up late or is that just me?