Pairing: Eren/Mikasa

Setting: At the cabin just in the winter time.

Rating: T (for some strong language)

Words: 3323

Notes: I need them being cute in the current chapters. I planned this one out far longer than I ever should have lol Sorry if it moves too fast, I just wanted to make it different than Beautiful World which kinda deals with the same thing.

Sled

Jesus, did the girls have to make such a mess in their room? Eren found it incredibly difficult to maneuver through piles of clothing, books, papers, Sasha passed out on the floor and God knows what in the dark to try and get to Mikasa's bed. There were three beds in the room though one was empty since Sasha didn't quite make it. He squinted in the darkness. Why hadn't he just brought his candle in with him? Sasha would never wake up and Historia wouldn't have cared why he was there. Ah! Blonde; that was Historia's bed. He carefully stepped over to the other bed, his hand reaching out for Mikasa's shoulder.

"Hey, Mikasa," he whispered as to not scare her. "Mikasa, wake up."

She sat up so fast she nearly collided with his head. He stepped back, almost tripping backwards over something in his way.

"What's the matter? Is something wrong?" Even in the dark he could see that worried face, her body halfway out of the bed.

"Calm down, everything is fine. No need to always jump to that conclusion," he said, leaning in again; though he honestly couldn't blame her. With their lives, it was the normal that was unexpected. Once she seemed to have relax a little bit, he stepped forward again. "Just come with me okay?" he held his hand out to her. His eyes were adjusting better in the dark so he could see her face turn from worry to confusion.

"I'm not even dressed."

Eren looked down at her, her thin sleeping gown showing where the blankets had fallen off her. He felt heat rise up to his cheeks as he quickly looked away, his hand reaching up to the back of his head. "Well, just get dressed and meet me downstairs." He slowly started to back out of the room. Wow, could you be anymore smooth, dumbass.

"Eren, what's going-"

"Just promise me you'll meet me downstairs."

He could tell she was still hesitating, wondering what he was up to. "Okay, I promise."

Eren hurried out of the room, shutting it behind him. What he really wanted to do was bang his head against it, but it was too late for that. He walked down the stairs to the main room of the house where he had laid out a jacket for himself, and for Mikasa. He placed a worn out hat over his head and shoved some gloves over his fingers. It was winter and the middle of the night; oh, it was gonna be cold out. He just hoped no one else heard him sneak out of his room. Mainly Levi or Hanji. Maybe just Levi.

"Are we going hunting in the snow?" Mikasa was standing at the bottom of the stairs wearing her pants and shirt, her scarf tucked around her neck.

"Good, you brought that thing." He gestured to her neck. "And no, something better." He held up one of the military jackets he had found early in the day while doing another round of cleaning for Levi. "C'mon, let's go."

Mikasa clearly wasn't having what Eren had to say with that look on her face but she stepped forward to have him help put on her jacket. She zipped it up while he placed a hat on her head, holding out a pair of gloves for her; he grabbed a hold of her arm and started pulling her towards the door. He carefully opened the creaky wooden door feeling a cold burst against his body before he closed it behind them.

It was dark out but the moon over head gave plenty of light to see the snow covered ground in front of them. "Follow me," Eren motioned before walking out into the crunchy snow. He didn't need to look to know Mikasa was following him, he could hear her feet hitting the snow as well. He led her back around the house, careful to avoid windows, and to the small storage shed out back.

"I happened to find this today," he said as he pulled and old toboggan out from behind the shed.

Mikasa covered her mouth as a small laugh came out. "You dragged me out of bed to go sledding?"

He could see the way her eyes lit up as she understood why he brought her out here. She liked the idea and she was busted. "Laugh all you want. You know you want to take this down that huge hill in the back. Don't lie to me."

She lifted her hands up in mock defeat. "You caught me."

Eren lifted the sled by the rope and tossed it over his shoulder. "Let's see if this thing was as good as the one I had back home."

He started walking again, hearing Mikasa follow. The night was crisp and quiet. He found it to be a nice relief from all the planning and strategies that had been going on for what seemed like weeks now. Instead it was just him and Mikasa outside getting ready to sled, like they were kids again.

"Eren?"

"Yes?"

"What's gotten into you?"

He turned his head to look over at her. She was beside him now, her hands swinging lightly at her sides as she walked. She wasn't looking at him, merely looking at the ground, her scarf pulled above her mouth.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Mikasa shrugged still not looking up. "You just seem, I dunno, happy tonight."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not at all. It's…" she looked up at him with those eyes he knew so well. "It's nice to see you having a good time over something. I just don't know where it came from."

His mind gave him a swift flash of memories of a field and a titan. He almost lost her, right in front of his eyes without ever letting her know how much she meant to him. How much he did want her around, how he never wanted her to leave his side. He was done taking things for granted. He was stupid to ever take her for granted and to not understand her when he knew her better than anyone.

"Sometimes life just lets you know when you've been an asshole."

Her eyes were still watching his, her gaze unwavering. Eren just wanted to kiss here then and there; those lips of hers so inviting on that beautiful face he never wanted to be without, and with no one around to say a word. Eren cleared his throat instead and came to a stop. He looked away from her, dropping the sled onto the ground before pushing it right up to the edge of the hill and sat himself down at the front. "Come on," he told her, seeing she was just standing there. "You're gonna have to get on too."

"Will it even move with both of us?"

Eren shrugged. "Guess we'll have to find out."

Mikasa seemed to think that was an okay answer since she sat down on the little bit of sled that was left. He felt her warm body press against his back; suddenly, it wasn't so cold out anymore. She lightly wrapped her arms around his waist, her chin landing on his shoulder.

"Is...is this okay?" Her breath was hot against his ear. He hoped to God t she couldn't feel the chill that shuddered down his spine.

"Ah, almost." Both of his hands picked up her legs and placed them over his, hooking her feet against his knees as his fingers lingered over her thighs for probably longer than he should have. Okay, so maybe having her wrap her whole body around him wasn't the best idea, because Eren couldn't even remember what he was doing. He could only feel her heartbeat behind him, every part of her body touching his.

"Eren? Do you need help?"

"No, no I got it." He stuck his feet out and inched them to the edge of the hill, just so one more push would sent them over. Eren glanced behind him. "Ready?"

Her grip tightened. "Ready."

One more push and the sled started to move. He hitched his feet up on the rail of the sled so they wouldn't get in the way. It started off slow and steady, but the snow was slick that night and before Eren knew it the sled was going down the hill. He could feel Mikasa's body shake with laughter, that laugh he so rarely got to hear chiming in his ear. The wind was cold as it blew and snow flew up at them and but he could care less. He glanced over his shoulder to see that smile of hers; everything was worth it to see that.

"Ah! Eren!" she called suddenly jolting his head forward. Her finger was pointing at something jutting out of the snow. He quickly tried to steer the sled away from the rock but he should have known how useless that was. The side of the sled hit the rock shooting Eren off of it and right towards the snow. He grabbed onto Mikasa to try and make sure he hit the ground and not her, right before his back landed onto the frozen ground, sliding himself across the slick snow.

"Oh God," he groaned, his head hitting the ground. "Are you okay, Mikasa?" His eyes opened after the initial impact, only to find her face inches from his. He looked up at her eyes which were staring down at him. His arms were still tight around her waist, holding her body close to his. Her legs landed on both sides of his hips, her hands gripping onto his chest.

"Yeah," she breathed. He could feel her slightly ragged breaths against his lips. "Are you okay?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Yeah. I guess I'm no better at sledding than I was as a kid." He tried to laugh and joke, but all he could focus on was how her body fit against his. The snow was cold and wet around him, but all he felt was her warmth on him.

"I dunno," she murmured, making no effort to move off of him. Her lips twitched. "I'd say that was better than that last time we went sledding."

"Yeah." His mind was already hazy when she leaned her head down to his, her forehead gently bumping against his own. Eren didn't even think he had it in him to hold back anymore. He tilted his head up slightly, just enough for his lips to brush against hers. Despite the cold all he felt her warm breath, her soft lips even just from the lightest touch.

Mikasa kissed him back with such a force that his head nearly hit the ground. His eyes widened as he felt her hand's grip tightened onto his jacket, her lips firmly against his; like she had been waiting for that moment for a long time. His eyes fluttered shut pressing his lips back to hers, a hand reaching up to brush by her cheek and hold the back of her head. He probably had kept her waiting for far too long.

Eren's other hand slid from her waist to her lower back, keeping her body pressed against his, his lips moving against hers. Nothing felt more right than just being here with Mikasa. Yeah, they were lying in the snow, in the middle of the night, in the cold, but none of that mattered to him. He pressed his hand against the back of her head, his mouth moving to deepen their kiss. Mikasa was the one always mattered, from the moment he met her. He had just forgotten along the way, but never again.

He felt the thin fabric of Mikasa's glove brush across his jaw, her hand moving to cup his face. He broke away from her just to place a trail of kisses along her jaw, her cheek. His hand fumbled with her scarf undoing it just a bit so his lips could reach the warm skin of her neck.

She let out a small noise, her body squirming slightly against his and it was enough to send heat right to the pit of his stomach.

"Eren," she said in that soft voice of hers. Jesus, as if she wasn't driving him crazy already. "Eren, we should go back."

"Yeah, okay," he murmured against her skin, making no effort to move.

She laughed and swatted at him. "I mean it, I can't feel my legs."

Eren pushed himself up from the snow, taking Mikasa with him so she was now sitting in his lap, only just noticing that the back of his jacket and pants were completely soaked through from the snow. He looked at her dark eyes, shining a lot more than usual. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much he wanted to explain, but how do you tell someone how much they mean to you when you haven't treated them the way they deserve? Especially after you just made out with them.

"Mikasa, I-"

"Eren," she cut him off before he could say a word, a smile on her lips. "It's okay." She reached up to brush the snow out of his hair. "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I know you, remember?"

"Then do you know how much I love you?"

He heard her breath catch in her throat, that slight widen of her eyes. He supposed that was a no, not that he blamed her, not how he acted. "Because I do," he said, his head tilting in once more to her lips, hands wrapping around her wait to pull her in close again. Mikasa melted into him, her hands reaching up around his neck as she kissed him back once more. She didn't need to say it back to him. He could feel it in the way her hands held him, the way she kissed him but most of all, he could look back and see it every day they had spent together.

He pulled away, pressing his forehead to hers. "Okay we can really go now, I think my ass is getting frostbite," he said with a slight smile.

Mikasa nodded against him, clearly reluctant as well to move, but she pushed herself up before Eren followed suit. He grabbed the string of the sled and started it dragging it uphill as he and Mikasa went back towards the cabin. The wind was cutting through his now soaking clothes but it didn't matter, he couldn't keep a grin off his face. Mikasa seemed to feel the same way, down to the shivers going through her body.

"It's not too far, c'mon, hop on," Eren moved so his back was facing her, his arms ready to hold her.

"Eren, that's really not necessary. I can walk, I'm just cold."

"Are you gonna let me take care of you for once?"

That seemed to work since he felt Mikasa jump right onto his back. He looped her legs through his arms as he held her up, still dragging the sled along with them. Her head fell against his as he walked, her body rocking to the steady rhythm motion of his legs. Eren was happy just to have such a simple moment in their lives. He wasn't sure when they would get one again, and as he approached the cabin, he realized it was probably not anytime soon.

"Are the lights on?" Mikasa asked, picking her head up as they came to a stop in front of the porch.

"Yep." Oh, this was going to end wonderfully he was sure; what with them being in hiding and all. He was pretty sure sneaking out in the middle of the night kinda ruined that.

"Well, that's Levi in the living room."

"I feel like I kept you out too late on a date and now I have to deal with your angry father."

"That's probably how it's gonna go." She climbed down off of him as Eren abandoned the sled where it was. They didn't even get to the door when Levi opened it.

"Welcome home," Levi said, his face and tone anything but welcoming. Eren walked inside with Mikasa right behind only to find Hanji and everyone else watching them from the couches and chairs.

The door slammed shut making Eren cringe. All eyes were on them.

"So glad you decided to join us." Levi leaned up against one of the wooden posts that stood in the cabin's structure. "It's been a lovely night as you know. I had Sasha come wake me up because both you and Ackerman were missing. Naturally she was worried what with keeping you specifically in hiding. So everyone got to wake up and look for you two only to find two sets of foot prints heading off into the back yard. You know, Jaeger, the next time you want to take your girlfriend out on a date, don't fucking disappear when we're supposed to be keeping an eye on you."

Eren felt his face heating up, seeing everyone watching him didn't help. "I wasn't…we're not."

"Save it. The both of you are cleaning this house top to bottom tomorrow under my supervision to make sure you actually get it done and get it done right. Plus we're gonna have a special winter training session to remind you to do as your fucking told, do you two hear me?"

Talk about getting berated by your father. "Yes, sir," Eren mumbled, hearing Mikasa say the same.

"I don't give a shit what you want to do with your free time but can you not go make out in the snow so you come back in here dripping water all over the floor."

Jean choked on his drink nearby Eren while Sasha clasped her hands over her mouth as she spurted out laughter. Eren's face had to be as red as Mikasa's scarf by now.

"We weren't-" Mikasa tried to say, her face looking tinted red as well, but Levi gave her a look that told her to shut up before she even started.

"You could learn to be a little more discreet. When you come back from being in the snow where Jeagers' back is soaked and only your knees are, it only gives one of two impressions, Ackerman."

If Eren didn't want to die before, now was it.

"Don't think you aren't still getting up early. Back to bed all of you," Levi barked causing the others to scurry back up the stairs. He glanced back over to Eren and Mikasa, both of whom hadn't moved, before walking to stand by the railing of the stairs. "Your own beds."

Well, he was pretty sure he set a record for the least smooth night ever and yet he felt Mikasa's lips against his cheek, her warm breath on his ear.

"It was worth it. Thank you," she said softly to him, a smile on her face before she headed up the stairs.

Eren couldn't help but stare after her, feeling as dopey as he probably looked.

"For Christ's sake, Jaeger, wipe that look off your face and go to bed. The savior of humanity a love sick teenager."

Eren ignored Levi, trying to regain some of his pride to walk by him and up the stairs. Despite all that, and all he had to look forward to tomorrow, Mikasa was right. It was worth it; she would always be worth it all. He put his hand on the knob of his door. Oh, he was sure to get shit from the two boys he shared it with all night and he could still hear Levi's voice before he entered his room

"I swear to God, Hanji, they don't pay me enough to deal with horny teenagers."