Pairing: Eren/Mikasa & Lots of Brot3

Setting: Post Series; After Historia gains the crown and the war is won

Rating: K

Words: 1817

Notes: Requested by Ryvius who wanted to see Mikasa looking at Eren and Armin while they all received awards for being humanity's saviors a la the end of A New Hope :3 It was really sweet to write, having Mikasa look at how much Armin, Eren, and herself have grown. I think you all know I don't just love eremika, but I love Armin so much too, and I love his friendship with Mikasa. I loved writing this because I got to write so much Brot3, and I love my Brot3. Title is from "On Top of the World" by Imagine Dragons.

I Take it In But Don't Look Down

It was a strange feeling getting to this point, getting to be able to celebrate for once. Mikasa peeked into the crack between the wooden doors she was standing behind. She saw lots of people, all dressed up standing off to the sides of the room, a white carpet laid out down the center of the room. She could just barely make out Historia standing at the front of the room, dressed in a gown that made her look even more beautiful than she already was.

Mikasa felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her back. "Are we impatient?"

She turned around to see Eren arching an eyebrow at her. "Just curious," she shrugged. "It's not like Levi told us what we were doing here. I didn't expect it to be so…grand."

"Well, the world is free now and the people want someone to take credit," Armin said from Mikasa's other side. "So here we are."

Eren grunted; he hadn't wanted to be here, not thinking himself much of a hero but he of all people had to be here. He was the one who was the hero. Eren never saw himself that way though, not once throughout any of this. He thought himself a monster many times through their missions but Mikasa could never see him as one; not the boy who saved her life so many years ago. Not the boy who cried over fallen comrades, who constantly hurt himself to save others, who saved her life in more ways than one. No, Eren was always a hero, even if he didn't know it.

"Ready?" a guard by the door asked. He didn't wait for an answer before the large doors swung up, the lights from the throne room almost blinding Mikasa.

Cheers went up in the room as Armin took the first step in with Eren by his side, Mikasa falling in just one step behind. She felt her face heating up at all the eyes she knew were on them but she kept her chin up, watching the warm face of Historia standing in front of her throne. Levi and Hanji were standing off to the side, dressed in their military uniforms as well; Levi didn't look too entertained whereas Hanji was practically in tears. Mikasa came to a stop when Armin and Eren did, just in front of the few steps that led up to where Historia stood.

The crowd went silent when the queen raised a hand. "Armin Arlert," she said with a smile, gesturing for him to come closer to her.

Armin took the steps up until he was kneeling on one knee in front of Historia instead of towering over her like he would've.

"For strategic prowess under the face of certain death, for brilliance on the battlefield that led to…" Historia went on about Armin's great deeds but Mikasa already knew those. She had always known those.

He looked so tall now, his shoulders broader, his small frame filling into his now grown body, his long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. She still remembered the meek boy she met so long ago, who day dreamed about seeing the ocean, who read to her, who gave her dreams of the outside. He was still there, of course, Armin's sweet spirit, his compassion but he was stronger now, physically and emotionally and smart, he was always the smartest of them all.

He could put things together so quickly and so brilliantly that she had no idea how he did it. It only took a moment in his head and he had everything worked out and could plan out a whole battle plan while others were still thinking where to start. He knew about Annie before anyone even had an inkling, he single handedly saved their lives the first time Eren transformed on a whim of an idea Armin put together; if not for his quick thinking she didn't know where they would be but it was certainly not here.

He never believed in himself, that was his problem. He didn't see what Mikasa and Eren saw in Armin, only ever thinking he weighed them down or held them back. It was the other way around though; Armin was the one who pulled them forward. Without him, Eren wouldn't have his dream to see the outside, the world they were born to. Without Armin, Mikasa wouldn't know what a true friend was, someone who she could trust with her heart's deepest desires and someone who always understood. Armin was always as much of her family as Eren was.

She wouldn't want to see the ocean without Armin by their side.

Mikasa watched Historia place a medal around Armin's neck, the crowd cheering again as he stepped back down beside Mikasa. She slipped her hand in his, giving it a tight squeeze while her face remained forward. She had to smile when she felt him squeeze back.

Historia held her hand up again before she turned to them again. "Eren Jaeger."

Mikasa's heart skipped a beat as she watched Eren walk up the steps. After all these years, he still took her breath away.

He kneeled down in front of Historia and must've made some kind of face because she looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"For bearing the weight of humanity, for showing strength not only in physical aspects but in mental too, for…"

Mikasa barely recognized Eren sometimes; he stood a head and shoulders taller than her, his body that once struggled through physical endurance now had the right amount of muscle for his frame, making his shoulders stand out, his arms, his chest, his legs. His hair was longer now too, though not long enough to pull it back like Armin. What wasn't different was Eren's eyes. They still had that intensity, that brightness, it was just now he had his toothy smile back to go with it.

Despite the changes he went through, she still saw that little boy in there; that boy who gave her so much hope, who taught her to fight, who taught her to love. She lost him so many times, only to have him returned back to her, a little more broken each time, but Eren always stood back on his feet and fought harder than ever for their freedom. He was a hero, he was her hero.

She had been in love with him for a very long time. While she used to try to deny it, to others and to herself, it wasn't worth denying herself one small joy in the world even if Eren never felt the same. She was surprised when he did, when he told her. She was gotten hurt again and he was worried, afraid of losing her whenhe told her. She had never seen him look at anyone like he had looked at her in that moment, like she was precious, like she meant the world to him. She eagerly accepted his warm arms, his careful lips, his apologies, his promises to always be together. She had no idea if they would make it out in the end, but here they were.

Mikasa watched Eren stand back up, a medal similar to Armin's around his neck. He walked back over to his spot on Mikasa's other side as cheers went up once more. She felt his hand on the back of her jacket, giving her a light rub before Historia's eyes met hers.

The room went quiet once more. "Mikasa Ackerman."

She took her steps forward, one knee down just like her boys had done before looking up to meet Historia's gaze.

The queen was still smiling. "For being a warrior who couldn't be matched, for showing strength against every adversity…"

Mikasa could barely listen to her own list of achievements because it was never about the achievements for her; like Armin and Eren, it was never about the glory. It was about keeping the ones she loved safe, about doing whatever it took to make sure their goals were achieved, about making sure Armin believed in himself, about letting Eren know how much he was treasured. It was about fighting till they could watch the sunrise over the ocean with no fear, only freedom.

She knew she hadn't always done the right thing; putting Eren in front of everything else and not letting him learn to take care of himself, causing him to push her away when she just wanted to be close. They were young though, so young, and now she knew she had grown too. Not in height like the boys, but in inner strength; to know when to protect and when to trust.

Having everything ripped away at such a young age, and gaining something precious in return, Mikasa always had a hard time leaving anything in anyone else's hands but hers. She had to learn relationships didn't work that way. She had to trust her superiors when they made calls she didn't agree with but she knew they had their reasons. She had to trust her comrades to follow the plan, to make everything go smoothly. She had to trust Armin when his plans seemed farfetched because he thought of everything else already. She had to trust Eren to bring himself home, to make it out alive when she couldn't be there to protect him because he was more than capable of it.

"And for loving like no other," Historia finished, placing the medal around Mikasa's neck.

She stood to her feet, the medal heavy around her neck, but her body couldn't have felt lighter. She saw the crowd yelling and cheering around her but her eyes were set on the boys standing in front of her. She was nine years old when she met them, they were eighteen now; it had been almost ten years.

Mikasa walked back down to her spot but she wasn't there for more than a few seconds when Eren wrapped his arms around her in a big hug, lifting her off her feet as she grabbed onto his shoulders for support. She laughed as the crowd kept shouting and clapping, the atmosphere nothing but joyous. It should be; the war was finally over.

Her forehead fell against Eren's as she felt Armin hug her from behind, his head against her back.

"It's done," Eren sighed against her skin.

It was finally done and they had made it out alive. They could finally leave the walls. They could finally see the world, the desert, the ocean, with nothing stopping them.

Mikasa knew the people were still shouting and maybe somewhere calling out to them, trying to get their attention. All Mikasa saw though was Eren, all she felt was Armin's happy laughter against her back.

Her family, the man she loved and her best friend, they were safe. They would be free.