Pairing: Eren/Mikasa, Shingeki no Kyojin

Setting: Modern Day AU where they grew up together as neighbors

Rating: T (Language and sexual implications)

Words: 8313

Notes: An anon on tumblr asked for a story that showed Eren and Mikasa falling in love with each other as they grew up together. I've always wanted to do a story for them by age and I thought this was the perfect time to do this! It ranges from ages 9-19 with a drabble for each age; its Eren's point of view so it's really him falling in love with her cause its Mikasa, we already know she'd be in love with him from a young age haha though I did try to show it in his eyes as well, the things he might not have thought much of that are telling from her. I loved writing this one, its possibly the cutest thing ever and long because I couldn't control myself. The title is from "Still Into You" by Paramore.

I Should Be Over All the Butterflies

Nine Years Old

Eren lived in the same neighborhood all his life, granted he was only nine years old but still. He knew all the names of his neighbors, especially Armin who was his best friend and Jean who Eren knew he'd never like. They had all been the same for as long as he could remember which is why he found it so strange to see moving vans in front of the house directly across from his.

He kept staring out the window of the living room, watching the movers bring in furniture, boxes, containers, but he couldn't actually see anyone.

"What're you looking at, Eren?" he heard his mom call from the kitchen.

He turned his head to see her looking at him while she was drying a pot. "There's strange people moving in across the street."

"And what makes them 'strange' people?"

Eren shrugged. "Cause I haven't actually seen them. Do you think they're invisible?"

His mom laughed. "No, I'm pretty sure they aren't but that was a good guess."

He turned back to the window to see if maybe he could catch a shimmer of the sun reflecting off an invisible body just in case she was wrong but instead he saw a girl peek around the house from the back yard. Eren sat up in his place on the window seat; so they weren't invisible. She didn't look like any girl Eren had ever seen though. She had long black hair with skin that was much lighter than his, and dark eyes that lit up when a man, who Eren assumed was her dad even though they didn't look alike, came out from the other side of the house and chased her back into the back yard.

"Ohhh," Eren's mom said, causing him to jump before he looked up to see her standing over him. "She looks about your age doesn't she? Why don't we bring over some cookies or something and say hi?"

"Why," Eren grunted, suddenly not feeling very interested anymore. "We don't even know them."

His mom swatted him over the head with her hand towel. "That's why. How do you think we get to know people? Now, c'mon, let's cook up a batch of cookies until your father gets home and we can all go over and introduce ourselves." She was already walking back to the kitchen but Eren just grunted as he sunk into his seat.

He was plenty fine with just sitting here and not saying hi to anyone. Neighbors didn't have to be friends, he knew that well enough from knowing Jean.

"You can lick the bowl when we're done."

Eren's ears perked up. Well, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

It didn't even take that long before Eren had the bowl in his lap, the wooden spoon full of cookie dough and chocolate chips. The oven dinged letting them know the cookies were already done.

"It smells delicious in here."

Eren heard his father before he showed up in front of the door wearing the scrubs he had left the house in this morning.

"We made cookies to give to our new neighbors. They have a daughter who looks around Eren's age," Eren's mom said as she transferred the chocolate chip cookies to the cooling trays.

"Oh did you?" his father asked sounding impressed as he looked over to Eren.

"It was mom's idea."

"Of course it was. Let me get changed and I'll come with you. This will be good for you Eren. You can't just be friends with Armin your whole life."

"Can too!" Eren said but his dad was already on his way upstairs. Eren went back to grumbling over the batter while his mom placed the cookies on some decorative tray she had.

"Do you want to carry them?" she asked as she covered them in plastic wrap.

Eren shook his head, wiping his mouth on his sleeve when he was satisfied that there was no batter left in the bowl.

"C'mon then, let's go say hi." His mom already had the cookies in her hand heading for the door while he heard his dad coming down the stairs.

"Do I have to?" he whined, pushing himself to his feet.

"Yes," his parents answered at the same time.

With a groan, Eren followed them out the door, the afternoon heat of the summer hitting him right away. His dad grabbed a hold of Eren's hand as they crossed the rather empty street to the house that Eren had been watching all day. Now that he was here he still wasn't all that interested; he just wanted to give them the cookies and to home to eat the ones he knew his mom set aside.

The movers were still going in through the garage, and Eren wondered how much stuff could even fit in a house. He watched his mom ring the doorbell as his dad practically dragged him up the front steps.

"Oh!" a woman answered the door; Eren saw her when he peered through his parents. She looked just like the girl he had seen earlier. "Hello."

"Hello," Eren's mom smiled. "I'm Carla Jaeger, this is my husband, Grisha, and our son, Eren. We live right across the street from you and wanted to come say hi. I'm sure you're very busy but we baked some cookies to give to you."

The woman placed a hand to her heart as she smiled at them. "That was so nice of you, please, come in. It's a bit of a mess right now but it's so nice to meet you."

Eren was praying his mom would say no they had to go home but he should have known better when he found himself following his parents into the house.

"I'm Vita Ackerman," the woman smiled, her eyes looking down to Eren. "How old are you, Eren?"

Eren felt his dad hit him lightly on the back of the head. "Nine," he said, reaching up to rub his head with a glare up at his dad.

"The same as my daughter," Mrs. Ackerman said with a smile, walking over to the glass doors that must have led to their backyard. "Hey, come in and meet our neighbors!" she called out the open door.

A few more voices followed as the man and the girl Eren had seen earlier came in the house. Eren made a distinct effort not to look at her.

"This is my husband Tom, and Mikasa," Mrs. Ackerman said. "Here let me take those." She reached over to take the cookies from Eren's mom and placed them on the coffee table that was sitting nearby. "This is Carla, Grisha, and Eren. They live across the street from us now."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Mr. Ackerman said with a wave. He looked down to the girl who was standing slightly behind him. "Mikasa, why don't you take Eren outside to play for a little bit?"

"Okay," her voice was quiet and she looked a little hesitant, but she stepped out from behind her dad as if she was waiting for Eren.

He looked up to his mom trying to silently beg her not to go but she just nudged him forward with her leg giving him no choice. He shoved his hands in his pants pocket and trudged after Mikasa who had already walked to the back door.

"I don't wanna play with dolls," he said once he was outside, knowing his parents were out of hearing range.

Mikasa wrinkled her nose as she looked at him, leading him down the porch stairs. "I wasn't playing with dolls."

"What else do girls play with then?" Eren really didn't know, he just assumed from TV and the girls he knew in his class at school. He wasn't actually friends with any of them though.

"I dunno," Mikasa shrugged, her bare feet hitting the lush grass of her backyard. "Same things as boys sometimes."

Eren was gonna say he highly doubted it but that was when he saw a bucket of green army men and the little figures he knew so well spread out over the grass. "You play with those too?" he thought his jaw was going to hit the ground.

"Yeah." She took a seat on the ground and picked one of them up. "My dad's a police officer so he knows a lot about fighting and stuff." Mikasa looked up at him, a slightly hopeful look in her eyes. "You wanna play?"

"Yeah," he said, sitting down across from her to survey the battlefield. "Whose winning? Cause if it's those guys." Eren gestured to the army men lined up across from them. "We can't have that."

"No, they are losing, but they just got reinforcements so we'd need to act fast to keep our ground."

By the time Eren's mom came to get him, the opposing troops were nearly destroyed though he and Mikasa had lost a lot of troops too. Even Eren was surprised when he called back to his mom, "Just five more minutes!"

Ten Years Old

Eren was laying on the grass of his front yard staring up at the blue sky above him. He was supposed to have his eyes closed as he counted in his head but whatever he knew they wouldn't be dumb enough to hide right in front of him.

"Ready or not here I come!" he shouted, pushing himself up of the ground and surveying the area. Inside was off limits, mainly because his mom was cleaning and kicked them out to begin with, but his yard and Armin's yard were all good to go to hide in. Mikasa's would've been but their parents didn't like them crossing the street to get there just to play hide n' go seek.

Eren started to walk around back of his own yard where they were more than likely hiding. The Colonel didn't mind them playing in the backyard but if they accidentally stepped on his gardens again they might get chased back to Eren's house with a hoe; they generally didn't like to risk it.

"I know you two are back here," he called out trying to see if Armin would squirm in his spot. As if on cue, one of the bushes near the back door started to move. Eren grinned as he made his way over there; it was either Armin or a squirrel but Armin was more likely.

He tiptoed over to the bush and stuck his head around the back of it. "Gotcha Ar…Mikasa?" Eren blinked at her thinking maybe he saw wrong (like he could mistake his black haired female friend for his blond male friend) but she was still standing in front of him. He really was only surprised because Mikasa never got caught; she was the best hider that Eren ever met and because of that Armin always lost.

"You shook that bush so Armin would win for once didn't you."

"Shhh," Mikasa said, coming out from the bush. "Don't talk so loud. I wanted him to actually win."

"It doesn't count when you cheat so he can win."

"I didn't cheat." Mikasa crossed her hands against her chest. "I just…sneezed."

"I didn't hear you sneeze, I was standing right here."

"Then I coughed."

"I would have heard that too!"

Mikasa went to open her mouth again but a small laugh cut her off.

Armin was standing near them, one hand covering his lips as he tried to mask the rest of his laughter. "I appreciate it, Mikasa," he said, dropping his hand. "But it's okay, I know I'm no good at this game."

Eren arched an eyebrow. "Then why are you laughing?"

Armin shook his head. "No reason."

"You always have a reason."

He shook his head again, clearly not wanting to say anything else.

Before Eren could press him, Eren's mom appeared at the back door. "Who wants to go for ice cream?"

The cheers drowned out anything else in Eren's mind.

Eleven Years Old

"Can we just go out-"

"No."

"What about-"

"No."

"I just want to-"

"No."

Eren was ready to pull his hair out. He was so bored out of his mind laying on his couch but his oh so fun babysitter wasn't having it.

"Can I at least-"

"No."

Levi was sitting in the armchair nearby, a book in his hands and his eyes only on that book. Someone else might have thought that meant he wasn't paying attention but Eren was dragged back in any room Levi was watching them in by the back of Eren's pants so many times by now he knew it wasn't even worth it. If Eren thought Mikasa was fast, her older brother was worse.

Luckily, Levi was in college and only was home during holidays and a few weeks the summer so Eren was only stuck getting babysat by him not too often, but the days he was forced into it was bad enough.

Eren looked down to Mikasa who was laying on the floor writing in a notebook. Both their parents were either working or at appointments leaving the both of them being watched by the devil incarnate. Plus, Levi wouldn't even let Eren play any games. He was gonna die, he just knew it.

"What're you writing?" Eren asked, leaning his head off the couch to get a better look. He couldn't see much, but he swore he could see his name in her neat handwriting.

Mikasa jumped like she forgot he was there, which was stupid cause this was his living room, and scrambled to cover it. She should have known better, that just made him want to know more.

"C'mon, 'Kasa, just show me." He rolled his eyes reaching for the notebook but she pulled it out of his reach causing him to fall off the couch trying to grab it.

He landed with a thud and a groan while Mikasa stood up to her feet, her notebook against her chest. Well, now she really was gonna get it. Eren jumped to his feet and took off after her with a grin; granted Mikasa was very quick but Eren had played tag with her for three years now, he knew some of her tricks.

She went around the back of the couch and Eren ran after her, his feet sliding slightly on the rug. Mikasa swung back around before reaching Levi, and ran back the way she came causing Eren to spin around to follow.

"Eren!" she cried when he almost had a hold of the notebook from behind her. She must've been desperate because she darted right by Levi's chair.

Eren found himself skidding to a stop, Levi's hand pressed to Eren's chest to give Mikasa time to run to the kitchen. "Aww, c'mon, Levi, we were just playing."

Levi arched an eyebrow sharply at him. "She didn't sound like she was having fun."

"I just wanted to see what she was doing, that's all."

Levi put his book down on the armrest as he leaned over in the chair, his head even with Eren's. "Let me give you a bit of life advice, kid. Sometimes a woman likes to have her secrets, and you let her have them until she wants to tell you."

Eren wrinkled his forehead. "Yeah but she's not a woman, she's Mikasa."

A small smile was on Levi's lips as he leaned back in to the chair, one hand reaching up to mess up Eren's hair. "You won't always think that way, kid. I promise you. Now go apologize to her before I whip you one for picking on my sister."

Eren scoffed as he turned away from Levi to go find Mikasa. He knew Mikasa was a girl, obviously he wasn't stupid, but she was also Mikasa, one of his best friends with Armin. She was like…like one of the guys. Levi didn't know what he was talking about.

Twelve Years Old

Eren was already seated on his bike when Armin was bringing his over from his house; he looked a little uncertain but Eren couldn't have been more excited.

"C'mon, Armin, don't look so terrified. The gas station is only right down the street. When Mikasa gets here we'll ride down get some snacks and drinks and come back up."

"The gas station is all the way at the end of the road a few blocks over, I don't know if we should be going."

Eren waved him off. "It's Saturday, everyone is out on the streets today. We won't be the only ones. Where is she already?"

Armin swung his legs over his bike, still looking like he was unsure if they should be doing this. It was only gonna take a few minutes; their parents wouldn't even know they were gone.

"Eren Jaeger. Just what do you think you're doing?"

The tone of his mom's voice was enough to make him nearly fall off his bike. He turned around to see her walking over across the lawn, a look in her eyes that told her nothing good was going to come from this and Mikasa trailing slightly behind. "Nothing, mom, just going for a ride."

"A ride?" She asked, hands on her hips. "A ride down to a gas station that is way out of our neighborhood without telling anyone where you were going? Do you even understand how dangerous that is? How much danger you were about to put your friends in?"

Eren's hands tightened on his bike handles as he glanced over to Mikasa, looking very guilty standing behind his mom.

"I didn't think so. Get inside right now. You're grounded for the rest of the weekend." She stormed back into the house, the screen door slamming behind her.

"What the hell, Mikasa!" Eren growled, tossing his bike onto the grass. "Why did you tell my mom on me? Seriously?"

Mikasa shook her head, taking a step back from him. "You were gonna get in trouble going or worse. I was trying to help you."

"Help me? Well, thanks, Mikasa, thanks to your help I'm stuck in the house till we go to school on Monday. Some help you are," he growled, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Lay off, Eren," Armin said, though a little meekly. "Something really bad could've happened to us if we went alone."

Eren ignored him though; he took a few more steps towards Mikasa. "I'm not your little brother. I don't need you to baby me so knock it off. This is all your fault." He brushed by her to go into his house with every intention of stomping up the steps and going into his room without looking back but a noise made him turn when he reached the steps. He saw Mikasa reaching up for her eyes, small cries falling from her lips. Armin was standing next to her with one hand on her shoulder; he was saying something but Eren couldn't hear what it was.

He felt guilt hit the bottom of his stomach, making him feel sick. He didn't want to make her cry, in fact he hated it, he just wanted to go over there and make her laugh or make her smile like she normally did. He couldn't though, because he made her cry in the first place. Eren kept going up the steps but now more guilty than angry.

Thirteen Years Old

"Mikasa!" Eren called across the lunch room when he saw the black haired girl enter through the doors. She smiled and waved as she made her way across the room, her bagged lunch in hand. Eren sat back down next to Armin satisfied Mikasa knew where they were.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Connie asked, popping up next to Eren.

Eren shoved his face away. "No, you moron, she's Armin and I's best friend."

"Then how come you're always with her?" Connie didn't seem to be acting rude or even making fun of Eren, but that didn't make him any less annoying.

"I just told you, she's our best friend." Eren unwrapped the sandwich his mom had packed him.

"But she's a girl."

Eren looked over at him. "Oh wow, Connie, thank you for telling me I had no idea."

"Eren," Armin said his voice both a little weary and a little amused.

Eren rolled his eyes and bit into his sandwich. "Guys can be friends with girls, ya know," he said once he had swallowed. "We've been friends with her for years, nothings gonna change that."

Connie's eyes were wide with interest. "But have you ever thought about kissing her?"

Eren felt his sandwich bite go right down the wrong tube.

"Hello," Mikasa smiled as she sat down next to Eren who was choking on his food thanks to Connie. "Are you okay?" She instantly reached over to rub his back which only made Connie grin wider.

"I'm fine," he snapped, with a little more bite than he intended to.

Mikasa eyed him but she retracted her hand and opened her bag to pull out her own food.

"How was the doctor's appointment?" Armin asked her to which she answered him but Eren was having a hard time paying attention to the conversation.

Connie must have gotten bored and ran off which Eren was thankful for. He didn't know how or if he could even admit that he had.

Fourteen Years Old

Whoever decided to have history first thing in the morning obviously never had to sit through it. Eren was nodding off in his seat for the past half hour with no end of this class in sight. He probably shouldn't have stayed up so late the night before but him and Mikasa were on a roll beating the new video game his dad bought him. Armin passed out at about midnight but Eren and Mikasa were up till like 2am before they both fell asleep in front of the TV.

Armin looked fine, as he would since he slept most the night, but Mikasa in the seat next to him also looked perfectly fine. Eren picked up his pen and scribbled How are you even alive right now? I'm about to pass out on his notepad before carefully ripping it off the paper. He held the paper low in the aisle, knowing just where the teacher couldn't see it until he felt Mikasa take it from him.

She wrote out something before passing it back to him like they had done countless times.

Because I got yelled at by my mom this morning when I went home, it read in Mikasa's clean hand writing.

Why? It's not like staying over made you late for school. Eren saw a little smile on her face when she read over his note before she passed it back to him.

Because my mom said we're too old to have sleep overs and that it's inappropriate now. I got in trouble because she said I should know better.

Eren's forehead furrowed as he read. What? That was stupid. Mikasa had been sleeping over with Armin and him since they were nine. What changed now? It's not like it was the first time you've slept over. Why does she care now?

Mikasa took a bit longer to answer this time, though she didn't look like she was writing just thinking. He unfolded the paper when she passed it back to him. She said that we're teenagers and that it made things different now. She said I can't stay over because you and Armin and boys and I'm a girl. She said it wasn't appropriate anymore.

Eren stared down at the note as guilt filled the pit of his stomach. Could Mrs. A know about the dreams he was having? No, that was impossible; he hadn't even told Armin about them. Eren had been far too embarrassed to even bring it up. How was he supposed to say he kept having dreams that were always full of kissing and touching and always waking him up in a cold sweat with an aching desire he never knew before? To top it all off, the girl, the girl who was always in his dreams was Mikasa which made it all the more mortifying.

That's dumb. I'll ask my mom about it, cause she didn't seem to care, he finally wrote before he reached over to pass the note to her.

"Mr. Jaeger and Miss Ackerman, do you plan on paying attention this class or are you just going to pass notes to each other the whole time?"

Eren felt his face heat up as all his classmates' eyes seemed to be on them, and he was already feeling flustered to begin with. The room started to snicker and Eren couldn't even look over to Mikasa in embarrassment and not just getting caught passing notes.

"Sorry, Mr. Hannes," Eren muttered hearing Mikasa do the same as he tried to sink lower in his seat.

Fifteen Years Old

Eren dug through his locker trying to find that stupid science book he knew he put in there yesterday but for the life of him he couldn't find it.

"Shit, Miss Zoe is gonna kill me if I don't have that book again," he muttered, tossing a few things on the ground of the hall as he searched.

"Looking for this?"

Eren looked up to see Armin holding his Biology book in front of his face. "You're a lifesaver, Armin. Where'd you find that?" Eren grabbed the book from Armin's hands before shoving it into his bag and going to pick up the mess he had made on the ground.

"You left it on the kitchen counter this morning," Armin laughed leaning against the lockers.

Figures. With all the work they were giving them this year, it was a miracle he didn't leave all his books on the kitchen counter. Eren was about to ask how much time they had but a voice caught his ear.

It was just Jean, which normally would make Eren grunt and turn in the opposite direction, but it was the name that came from Jean's mouth that made Eren turn to look at him. Jean was standing near Mikasa's locker, talking to her about something; Eren couldn't hear what it was just that Jean said her name. Whatever it was she didn't look too interested just paying attention to be nice, which did give Eren a great deal of satisfaction.

He nodded over there. "I'm gonna go rescue her." Before he could Armin grabbed a hold of Eren's shoulder.

"I wouldn't," Armin said, looking a little amused.

"Why the hell not? He's clearly bothering her."

"Eren, he's trying to ask her out," Armin spoke the words carefully, like it was Eren who didn't understand the situation.

He felt irritation surge up in the pit of his stomach. He was what? Jean seriously thought he was good enough to date Mikasa? Eren scoffed as he shrugged out of Armin's grip; now Eren really was gonna go over there and give a piece of his mind.

"Your hair looks really nice today," Jean was saying when Eren got closer. He heard the shake in Jean's voice telling Eren he was nervous, chattering about Mikasa's hair of all things.

"What're you gonna do next, tell her she has a nice shirt?" Eren growled as he moved to stand next to Mikasa.

Jean's face started to turn red, whether from anger or embarrassment Eren wasn't quite sure. "What the hell do you want, Jaeger? This is none of your business."

"Of course it is," Eren snapped back, though he wasn't entirely sure where his anger was coming from. It was perfectly natural for someone to want to ask Mikasa out; she was gorgeous and smart and kind as well as being able to knock Eren off his feet with one move. He shook his head, that didn't matter, what did was getting Jean away from her. "So let's get this over with. Ask her out and get rejected so we can get onto class."

"Eren," Mikasa said, telling him she didn't quite approve of his choice of words and Jean definitely didn't judging by the face he was now making.

"What is your fucking problem? This is absolutely none of your business! You don't speak for her! Mikasa can speak for herself."

Eren looked over to Mikasa, gesturing for her to answer Jean. Eren knew her since she was nine years old, he knew her better than himself sometimes, and Eren very well knew Mikasa didn't have any sort of feelings for Jean; though the thought didn't stop the way Eren's heart was pounding angrily in his chest.

She gave Eren a look mixed with frustration and guilt before looking back to Jean. "Jean, I…" She didn't even need to finish her sentence, he caught on enough.

Jean looked disappointed and embarrassed for a moment that Eren kinda felt bad for him; he must've worked up to asking her out and Eren kinda ruined that for him. That guilt went away very fast when Jean's anger came back, and had Eren pushed up against the lockers. "What is it about you, huh?" Jean hissed, his hand gripping the collar of Eren's shirt to keep him pinned. "What the hell does she see in you? Cause all I see is an asshole."

Eren squirmed slightly under Jean's iron grip, his head already aching from hitting the metal doors behind him. He was about to snap back, about to deck the guy in the face for touching him but Mikasa's sharp voice stopped him.

"Enough," she said, stepping in between them. "Let him go, Jean."

Jean looked like he wasn't gonna listen for a moment, but with a frustrated noise he let go of Eren.

Mikasa reached up to touched the back of Eren's head, her eyes still a little angry with him but there was concern in there too. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Eren grunted, watching Jean walking away from them, his hands shoved in his pockets. Eren made a move to go after him but Mikasa placed a hand on Eren's chest.

"Leave him alone. You didn't need to butt in and make it worse. I had it perfectly under control." Her voice had an edge to it, but the way her hand was rubbing the back of his head was already calming him down.

Really, Eren had no idea why he did it. Mikasa wasn't in danger, except maybe of giving out her first rejection to a date but the anger he felt was unlike the temper he was used to. He couldn't stand Jean talking to her like that, thinking he had a chance.

"That went well," Armin said, still standing in his spot from the sidelines.

The bell rang before Eren could ask him why the hell he was grinning like that.

Sixteen Years Old

Eren wasn't sure what horrible things he had done in his life but he was pretty sure he didn't deserve this. His dad was at work and his mom was at a hair appointment, even Armin was busy at an afterschool study group leaving Eren alone at his house with Mikasa. That really wasn't all that unusual but she insisted on looking gorgeous and wearing a tight fitting sweater, leggings, and a short skirt. All he could do was keep his eyes on the TV trying not to pay attention to beautiful girl sitting on the couch next to him.

He tried to convince himself his feelings for her were just because she was his best friend who happened to be a girl. Of course he was attracted to her. Of course he hated other guys flirting with her, hitting on her, asking her out. What made him realize was the way he wanted to be the one asking her out, he wanted to be the one closest to her, be able to love her past just a childhood friend, past just a best friend. God, he just wanted to kiss her so bad.

"Eren?" Her voice was enough to send chills down his spine.

"Yeah?" he grunted, glancing over at Mikasa. He immediately regretted it when he saw the way she was biting her lower lip, her eyes shining with concern.

"Is something wrong?"

Oh great, now she was worried about him. He tried to force a smile. "Just tired from school today."

Mikasa gestured for him to come closer to her. That probably wasn't the best thing to do but how could he ever resist her. He started to move over as Mikasa leaned back against the armrest with Eren trying to look anywhere but at her skirt that was sliding up on her covered thighs. He knew what she wanted and Eren knew it would be his downfall but he moved so his back was against her chest, his head falling against her shoulder. One of her legs was pressed up between him and the couch and the other was dangling off the side. Eren felt her body radiating heat onto him, raising goose bumps on his skin.

"Is that better?" Her voice was in his ear, warm breath on his neck.

"Yeah," he choked out, closing his eyes. "Thanks." Despite the edge he was feeling from being so close to her, he still couldn't help but feel that level of comfort he knew with Mikasa. God, he was such an idiot. How could he fall for his best friend? How could he ever tell her without crossing that line and ruining their friendship?

He shook his head, trying to forget all that and just enjoy being near her with no one else around. Granted, that did only make his mind drift to what he'd rather be doing with her while they were alone. No, that didn't help and neither did the way her hand started running through his hair. Jesus Christ. He almost felt all the blood in his body rushing downwards, his pants starting to get tight.

In a slight panic (please, God, please don't let her notice), he grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and tossed it over him.

Mikasa laughed lightly; he didn't miss the way her breath had caught in her throat and it still made him freeze. Did she notice?

"You can fall asleep. No one will be home for a bit," she said, her other hand draping over his shoulder.

"The way you keep running your hand in my hair I probably will." He meant it as a joke but his voice was still choked. Eren heard her laugh again before she rested her head against his.

Great, Eren thought as his arousal throbbed painfully in his pants. He was both in the most mortifying situation of his life and the most pleasurable.

Seventeen Years Old

"Mom, I'm only walking across the street, you don't have to come with him," Eren said as he was trying to shut his house door behind him and Armin but his mom already put a foot in the door stopping him.

"And miss seeing my only son on the night of his Junior Prom, I don't think so." She was pushing her way out, camera in hand. "And Armin too of course. I need to get pictures cause Lord knows you two aren't going to take any."

Eren rolled his eyes. "You can see us right now."

"It's not the same and you know it." She waved him off already crossing the street to the Ackerman's.

"Better just let her have this, son." Grisha clasped his hand onto Eren's shoulder as he walked by, following his wife.

"You traitor," Eren growled causing Armin to laugh next to him. "What?"

"You can't blame them," Armin shrugged, following them into the road. "I'm sure they've been waiting a long time for this day. I know I have."

Eren shoved one of his hands into his suit pants pocket as he crossed the street last, his parents already walking in the Ackerman's house. He very well knew Armin wasn't referring to prom but to the fact Eren had (in Armin's words "finally, finally, thank God") asked Mikasa out. Of course, he had to do it for prom meaning not only was he nervous about going to the stupid thing he heard about since he was a kid but it was going to be his first date with Mikasa, the girl he had grew up with and the one he was falling in love with since he didn't even know when. Add in his parents to the mix, and her parents for that matter, Eren wanted to die before he even reached the door.

His parents were chatting away with her parents and the Colonel, Armin smiling off to the side with that stupid "I always told you so" grin he had on for days now.

"Shut up," Eren grunted, weakly pushing Armin with his shoulder.

"Well, look at you," Mrs. A said as she made her way to give Eren a hug. "Don't you look as handsome as ever."

"Thanks," Eren tried to smile but he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks.

Mrs. A was still smiling at him when she went back to where his mom was but Eren wasn't quite sure how happy she actually was about the loud mouthed boy with the bad temper from across the street dating her daughter.

"C'mon, ladies, they're waiting for you," Mr. A said from his spot leaning up against stair railing.

"Coming!" Mikasa's voice called back; Eren was a mix of wanting to sink into the wall and wanting nothing more than to just see her.

Annie was the first one down the stairs wearing a blue dress that matched her eyes and Eren was pretty sure his mom was about to burst into tears as she pushed Annie and Armin together to take a few (thousand) pictures. Armin looked perfectly fine as he smiled for pictures, putting the corsage he was holding on Annie's slender hand.

Everyone was so busy gushing over the first couple of the night that it seemed only Eren noticed Mikasa standing at the top of the stairs, still hidden from the others and he had to remind himself how to breathe when he saw her. Her short hair brushed her shoulders, the red of her long dress only making her dark eyes shine more than usual.

She made a face and gestured to their parents and the Colonel, flashes from the camera going off everywhere.

Eren snorted and rolled his eyes, though he was having a hard time looking away from her. He felt his dad come stand behind him, placing his hands on Eren's shoulders.

"I'm glad you finally realized what was in front of you all this time." His dad waved up to Mikasa who gave him a shy wave back. "Don't be too nervous, son, she's still the girl you've known all these years."

Eren nodded, though his hands were still sweating onto the plastic container he was holding.

"Mikasa, sweetheart," his dad called up, getting the others' attention as well. "I think you should come down before Carla runs out of room on her camera."

Mikasa covered her mouth trying to hide her laugh as she slowly walked down the stairs.

"Oh, Mikasa," Carla sighed, one hand over her heart. There was a similar reaction around the room but Mikasa didn't seem to pay any mind, she just walked until she was standing in front of Eren.

"Hi," she said, a smile already on her lips.

"Hi." Eren tried to keep the waver out of his voice but it was nearly impossible not to. He felt everyone's eyes on them, the cameras going off. He nearly dropped the corsage when he tried to open it, his hands shaking as he fumbled to get it on her wrist.

Mikasa grabbed his shaking hand in hers as she looked up to meet his eyes. "It's okay," she mouthed to him but Eren felt her hand quaking just a bit. She was nervous too.

"Alright," Armin said. "We have to get going before we're late."

Eren silently thanked his best friend. Granted they still had to get around Eren's mom hugging everyone, especially Mikasa, the Colonel telling him and Armin how proud he was of the men they grew into, and Mr. A, of course the cop, making sure Eren was going to bring his daughter home on time with little to about five threats of personal injury (he assured Eren he was kidding, but Eren wasn't so sure about that). Needless to say, Eren was relieved when the cool afternoon air is his body as they walked out to Armin's car.

Annie slid in the front seat while Eren held open the back door for Mikasa.

"Armin," she said, arching an eyebrow up at him.

"Whoops," Armin said, peeking in the back seat and not sounding too upset. "I must have forgot to clean out the car from when I was bringing old clothes to donate for the Colonel."

Mikasa slid into the car, sitting snug in the middle, with Eren taking the seat next to her while Armin started the car to make the drive to the ballroom in a banquet hall in the city where the prom was taking place. The car was pretty quiet, the radio playing lightly and Armin and Annie talking about something but Eren wasn't really paying attention, he was too busy looking down at the girl sitting next to him.

"What?" she asked when she looked up noticing his gaze.

Eren shook his head but she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "Okay," he laughed. "You just…look really beautiful tonight. Not to say you don't all the time, but just…ah…you know…" he struggled to find what he was trying to say but it wasn't working for him.

Mikasa placed her hand over his as she looked back up to him. "Thank you."

Eren wasn't sure what it was; if it was the way no matter how nervous he felt that she always found a way to calm him down, or the way she looked at him with such adoration that he never knew before, or if it was just because he had wanted to for God knows how long but the next thing he knew his lips were pressed up against hers.

He felt her gasp against him, but quickly melt right into his kiss, moving her lips with his. Eren reached up to cup her jaw, his heart pounding in his ears but nothing, nothing felt better than this, than her.

"Seriously?" Armin asked causing Eren to look up seeing his friend's blue eyes in the rearview mirror. "We haven't even gotten there yet, you two." The smile on Armin's lips was clear enough.

"That's okay," Eren said, turning back to Mikasa. This time it was her who grabbed his faced and pulled his lips to hers.

Armin's voice rang in his ears. "Finally, finally, thank God."

Eighteen Years Old

"Eren," a voice hissed near him but he was still too sleepy to care. Granted he did recognize the voice right away, though his name on her lips sounded a bit different than it had last night.

"It's not funny, Eren," Mikasa said, shaking his body. "Its 10am!"

He opened his eyes slightly to see her leaning over him. He reached up around her waist to pull her back down on his bed with him.

"I'm serious!" she said but she really wasn't fighting all that much, her thin night shirt riding up under his grasp. "You were supposed to set your alarm."

"Why?" he mumbled, nuzzling his head into her neck, leaving light kisses on her skin.

"Because," she swatted at him but not nearly enough to make him stop. "My parents didn't like me sleeping over when we were kids let alone when we're dating." Her breath hitched in her throat when Eren bit down on her skin. "And we were supposed to meet Armin a half hour ago at school. In case you forgot, we're graduating today."

"I didn't forget," Eren said against her skin, his hands moving to run up her back. "I just had more important things on my mind."

Mikasa opened her mouth, probably to object, but Eren pressed his lips to hers before she could. By the way her hands reached up to tangle in his hair, it was clear she wasn't objecting anymore. Until a loud knock rang against his door.

"Yeah?" Eren called out but still not letting Mikasa go.

"Aren't you supposed to be, I don't know graduating from high school today?" his mom said from behind the door.

"Maybe."

"Please get up and go we'll meet you there. Also, Mrs. Ackerman stopped by to say while she's pretending her daughter is sleeping over Sasha's house that Mikasa better not be late to her own graduation. Her dress and gown are hanging on the door."

Mikasa tried to hold back a laugh but it didn't quite go so well.

"Okay, Mom," Eren said, but once she walked away her reached up to kiss Mikasa again. Until his phone started ringing.

Mikasa rolled off him to start getting ready when Eren reached for the buzzing phone, Armin's picture shining on the screen.

"Hey, Buddy, what's up?"

"Oh you know, just wondering where my two best friends are on our graduation day."

"Why is everyone so hung up on graduation this morning?" Eren felt Mikasa toss some clothes on his bed.

"Well, it could be because the ceremony starts in an hour. Are you at least on your way."

"Uhh…" Eren looked over to Mikasa who was sliding her dress on. "Almost?"

He could hear Armin snort. "You haven't even left have you?"

"Yeah, I was a little distracted all night, okay."

"Okay, I'm done with this conversation. I maybe your best friend, but Mikasa is like my sister. I don't wanna know just get here soon."

"Love you too," Eren said but heard Armin laughing before he hung up.

"Why are you dragging your feet so much? Shouldn't you be excited we never have to go back to high school?" Mikasa was brushing her hair in his bathroom mirror.

"I am, just not so happy 'J' and 'K' are so close together in the alphabet when you and Armin get to sit next to each other for the whole ceremony."

Mikasa rolled her eyes, coming to sit down on the bed next to him. "I know that's not all that's bothering you so out with it."

Eren looked down at his hands; this was so stupid. He should be excited about graduation high school and being able to move on with the next part of his life but he couldn't get the nagging feeling out of the pit of his stomach. "What if this changes everything?"

She gave him a questioning look.

"You know," he shrugged, reaching a hand behind his head to scratch at his neck. "What they say about high school relationships."

Her face softened as she reached over to place a hand on his cheek. "You know this doesn't change anything. I've loved you long before high school, I'll love you long after."

Eren leaned into her touch. "I love you too."

"Then go get in the shower so we can leave."

A smile pulled at his lips. "Only if you come with me."

"I've already showered and I'm already dressed."

"I can easily change that."

Nineteen Years Old

"Remember when we tried to go sledding in your front yard," Mikasa said, pointing out the window, snowflakes falling outside the glass. "But there's no hill so you just pulled me and Armin around for an hour."

Eren laughed, his head leaning up against the wall as he stared out the front window with Mikasa. She was curled up in front of him on the windowsill seat, her head against his chest and his arms around her waist. One of his legs was propped up near the window, the other one dangling down to give Mikasa more room on the cushioned seat.

He really was enjoying college much more than high school, even if it was just for the extended Christmas breaks they got. He could almost smell the cookies and pies his mom was cooking in the kitchen. They offered to help her, but she shooed them away which is when they found themselves here.

"You know, this is the first place I ever saw you," Eren said, placing his chin on her head.

"You did not, you met me at my house. I remember that."

Eren shook his head. "When you moved in, I was watching the movers from the window. I saw you and Mr. A playing some sort of game."

"Oh? And what did you think?"

"That I suddenly wasn't interested anymore."

Mikasa slapped him on the chest but Eren only laughed.

"It's true! I was a nine year old boy, what did you expect?"

She shook her head, but Eren could feel her laughing against his chest. It seemed like decades ago, though really it had just been one. Ten years from the day he met the girl who would be the one he played in the mud with, the girl he grew up with to the girl he fell in love with.

Mikasa looked up at him. "Would you change it?"

"Never."

His mom's head popped out through the kitchen door. "Okay, you two, who wants to lick the bowl."

Eren looked down at Mikasa, who in turn looked back to him. Neither was sure who got up to run to the kitchen faster.