Pairing: Eren/Mikasa
Setting: Right after the end of chapter 63 because I'm too impatient for another month of Eren being chained up. Give that poor boy his moment already.
Words: 2134
Rating: T (Language)
Notes: I've had this idea bouncing around for a while now where Kenny used Mikasa to make Eren do whatever it was he wanted knowing that she's a weakness of his ala that fabulous heart wrenching scene in FMAB. I know nothing like this will probably ever happen but I don't care I always see Mikasa as Eren's weakness. He's so head strong and rash (though he's been a lot calmer lately) and runs head first into everything but he still gets very defensive of her and if she was used against him I think it would work all too well. Also I just want them reunited okay. The title is from my favorite line in "Fall for You" by Secondhand Serenade because that whole song is just Eren, and that line in particular.
I May Have Failed But I Have Loved You From the Start
Eren saw what was going on in front of his eyes, he knew because he saw it before. Flashes of memories kept rushing to his mind, ones that had been long forgotten or long repressed. The one that kept coming back was his father, kneeling in front of him, a syringe in one hand and Eren's arm in the other; just like the syringe Rod Reiss was holding out to Historia.
This was different though, there was no fear in Historia's eyes like there were in Eren's and there were no tears in Rod Reiss' eyes like there was in Eren's father's. Eren felt his body tense up against the chains that were holding him. With the way Historia was looking at him and Reiss holding that syringe in his hands, there was no way this was gonna end well. If Eren stayed chained to this...whatever it was he was going to be the next one to get eaten.
His heart clenched as memories of his younger self crying over his dad's glasses filled his head again. He tried to shake it out; he couldn't think about that right now, he had to keep fighting. He pulled at the chains, hearing them rattle but not budge. Historia and Reiss didn't seem to mind, too focused on the plan that Eren was now convinced Reiss had manipulated Historia into.
Eren closed his eyes and tried to pull at the chains holding his arms. They were secured tightly into the wall, barely even budging. No, that wasn't good enough. He was running out of time. His father's voice echoed in his mind, telling him to avenge the people who killed his mother; Eren felt a tremor go through his body. Levi's voice came next, every choice had consequences whether good or bad he'd never now until it was done. Armin and his tales of the sea, his hopeful eyes as he read; Sasha and Connie bickering over something silly, Jean telling Eren he wondered if Eren was worth all the lives that were lost, Petra begging him to trust them, his mom's laughter. He felt his hands straining against the chains, pulling tighter as faces flashed past his mind, words lingered on his ears. He almost saw Mikasa's face in front of him, the one person he couldn't bear to think of this whole time he was chained up. He knew how upset she must be, how worried and he hated putting her through that. He heard her words too, telling him how much he meant to her, how much he has always meant to her. His own voiced echoed in his ears, telling her they'd always be together.
Eren's whole body shook with anger that was swelling up in him. How dare they try and stop him from finishing what he started out to do. How dare they try and take him away from the people who needed him most, the few people in the world he loved. He refused to stand for that, he refused to lay down without a fight. His cry was muffled by the gag but the chains falling to the floor seemed to get Historia and Reiss' attention, stopping whatever he was about to do with her.
Eren stood up, his hands steaming as they started to heal from being ripped out of the metal bindings and the chains around his waist falling to his feet. He ripped the gag from his mouth, tossing it away but leaving his hand by his mouth. "I wouldn't if I were you."
Reiss looked surprised, like he didn't think Eren had it in him, whereas Historia just looked even angrier, like she was gonna take that syringe and jab it in her arm herself. Eren couldn't help but feel a sense of betrayal when he looked in her eyes; after everything they had gone through together, she was gonna pick a few nice words from a man who abandoned her? Granted, Eren couldn't be too hard on her, his father had killed the one family member Historia loved. Eren understood that loss.
"No, boy, I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Eren would know Kenny's voice anywhere by now, the man who mocked about fighting Levi and the rest of Eren's squad but wouldn't tell him if they were dead or alive. Alive, Eren knew they were alive, they had to be. Sure enough, the man was walking into the room, dragging someone behind him.
"I won't if Reiss steps away from Historia with that syringe, but if you or he gets any closer I will," Eren said, standing firm from his place on the alter.
Kenny let out a laugh that only made Eren feel a surge of anger. If he shifted right now he could just take Historia out of here himself; she'd probably be mad but maybe Levi could talk some sense in her. Eren brought his hand closer to his mouth, to threaten them.
"You're in no place to negotiate, boy." Kenny tossed the person he was holding forward, the body falling off to the side of Reiss and Historia.
Eren almost felt the color drain from his face as fear made his stomach clench. He would always be able to recognize that black hair, the red scarf around her neck, even the bruised face as Mikasa looked up to him. Her face was hard, her eyes telling him to not give in, even for her.
What Eren wanted to do was lunge at Kenny for laying his hands on her, to slam his own fists into Kenny's face and see how he liked it. It still wouldn't be enough; no one laid their hands on her. He clenched his jaw, trying to hold back his anger as his hands clenched in fists at his side. He looked back to Kenny without another word.
"Ohh," Kenny whistled. "Okay, guess I got the wrong rescue mission. Don't need anyone else hangin' around." He walked over until he was standing of Mikasa's body. He grabbed her hair pulling her head back towards him, a knife in his hand.
"No!" Eren cried out running to the very front of the alter. "Don't you fucking touch her,"he growled.
Kenny chuckled as he let Mikasa's head fall as he moved away from her. "Found your weakness there. She was trying to get in through the upper levels like Historia told us might happen. The girl appeared to be alone, but I'm sure Levi's out there too. Oh don't worry; I have men hunting them down as we speak."
Eren wasn't too worried about the others, they had Levi with them, but Mikasa, she clearly came in here on her own just trying to save him and now she could barely keep herself up on the floor. Instead of the anger and irritation he used to feel, he only felt guilt. This was his fault.
"What do you want," Eren snapped looking back towards Kenny.
"I want you to drop your hand from your mouth and stop threatening to be an idiot. Do so and I'll let your girl here live."
"Eren," Mikasa hissed, whether through anger or pain he couldn't quite tell. "Don't." Her eyes told him all. Save yourself and forget me, they said, but that was something Eren couldn't do. The thought wouldn't even cross his mind.
"Fine," Eren dropped his hand from his mouth and raised both of them in surrender. "But let me see her."
"Whatever," Kenny shrugged, leaning back against one of the pillars.
"Is that such a good idea?" Reiss said.
"If he tries anything…" Kenny flipped the knife he was still holding in his hand. "I'll handle it."
"He won't," Historia said, though there was still sharpness to her tongue. "Not while you have her."
Eren made his way down from the alter for the first time in what seemed like days until he fell to his knees in front of Mikasa. "What're you doing here?" he asked, reaching down to take her face in his hands.
She winced a little as he helped her sit up in front of him. "Getting you."
Eren snorted. "Nice job."
She leaned her head into his touch, her eyes still on him. "I couldn't just leave you."
"Like I always leave you?"
"You were taken and we couldn't find you."
Eren shook his head, his thumb carefully brushing by one of the bruises on her cheek. "I promised you, and I never wanted to break that promise."
"I knew you'd be okay." A faint smile pulled at her lips. "I trusted you."
Eren didn't even think he knew how much he missed her until she was sitting in front of him. He went to move in to hug her but a gagging noise behind him made him stop.
"Are you two done yet so we can move on with why we came here?" Kenny said.
Eren racked his mind trying to figure out something to save them from this situation that didn't involve Kenny hurting Mikasa, but he couldn't think of anything. They were trapped here, now even more so that Kenny had his hostage to keep Eren behaved.
A hand on his shoulder had him looking back at Mikasa. "It's okay," she said.
"I'm pretty sure it's not but I appreciate the optimism."
"No, Eren, it really is okay."
He was gonna tell her again that being hopeful wasn't going to help them but there was a look on her face that told him everything he needed to know. Of course, she never came here alone like Eren had thought when he first saw her. She was the distraction. Everyone who knew her would easily believe she came alone to save him.
"I should have figured I'd find you down here, smells like shit," Levi said his blades already extended as he walked forward from the entrance. He glanced over to Eren while still keeping an eye on Kenny. "Glad to see you're alive, Jaeger, now Ackerman can get that lost puppy look off her face."
For the first time since Eren had been captured, he saw Kenny's cocky expression leave his face. "Ackerman?"
"Don't think about running, Reiss," Levi said, looking towards the man who did look like he was about to bolt. "Not unless you want an arrow right through your chest."
"You don't understand!" Historia exclaimed.
"Enough talking," Kenny barked. "Did you come here to do something or not?"
Eren knew the look in Levi's eyes telling everyone in the room all they needed to know. Gun shots started ringing and Mikasa dove at Eren pulling him out of the range of battle that only just began. She hissed in pain as her back hit one of the rocks, but Eren didn't even get the chance to ask if she was okay.
"The others are upstairs dealing with the guards and MPs," Mikasa said, her voice low against the sounds around them. "It won't take them long to figure out where Levi went though and then I don't think Sasha can hold all of them off from coming in here. I have to help Levi fight Kenny, so stay here until we can get you out." She went to stand up but Eren pulled her right back down.
"You can't fight like this, you're hurt." Eren knew Mikasa probably could handle it, but it shouldn't have to be this way. Why was it always her?
"I have to," she said, though her voice was softer. "It has to be me."
Eren paused for a moment, his eyes meeting hers. "It doesn't always have to be. Let me fight first, give you more time to recover. If those guys are coming down I can help Sasha at the door."
She looked hesitant. "You don't have to do this."
"Of course I do." Eren kneeled in front of her, reaching forward to brush some of her fallen hair from her eyes. "I may not have done a lot of things right when we were younger, and I've done a lot I regret but I never regret protecting you. So let me do this."
Mikasa looked like she was unsure what to say but she nodded, her hand briefly reaching up to touch his.
"Wait here as long as you can, I'll hold them off." Eren turned without another look, knowing it wouldn't be the last; he refused to let that happen. He had no weapons, no protective gear, not even a shirt, but as he ran the perimeter of the room to find Sasha at the door, he wasn't gonna let that stop him. Not after everything they had done to him, to Historia, to his mother, to his father, to Mikasa. No, they would pay.