Pairing: Eren/Mikasa

Setting: Post series; The first time they see the ocean

Words: 1717

Rating: K

Notes: Anon asked for them finally reaching the ocean and Eren confessing how he felt to Mikasa. I realized that I never actually have written my brot3 going to see the ocean for the first so of course I had to do it. It's pretty sappy but when is something I write not? Lmao Title is from "Hey Ho" by the Lumineers.

I Belong With You

It was more beautiful than Eren could've ever imagined. The way the waves rhythmically crashed against the beach, the way the sun shone down on the water making it shine so bright he nearly had to shade his eyes, the way the sand was so soft underneath his feet, the salty air that blew over his body as he stood in front of the ocean for the first time, but most of he loved the way it looked like he could see forever beyond the horizon on the water. For the first time since the battle had ended, he actually felt like he was free now.

"How do you like it?" Armin asked, stopping to stand next to Eren.

"You were right all these years weren't you," Eren said, glancing over to his old friend. Armin was the same height now, with longer hair he kept tied back. His eyes were staring out over the ocean and there was a smile on his face that Eren hadn't seen in a very long time.

"Even I didn't know if the books were wrong, they were very old after all but we would've never known if we didn't try."

Try they did. It had been at least a year since the monarchy was over thrown exposing the secrets they needed to finally end the need for the walls. Because of the sudden importance the Scouting Legion now held to the remainder of the military, they couldn't get away to actually start exploring this new world open to them. It took a year for Levi to finally give them a little bit of vacation time, as long as they promised to actually come back. Eren didn't find it too hard to promise, after all, their new jobs in the military would be to explore and map out the world. They'd get to live their dreams, but first they had to live out a dream the three of them had together.

It had taken a while to actually hunt down the huge body of water they longed to see but Armin worked it out and they managed to find a beach that seemed to extend for as far as the eye could see. They made camp up away from the sand cause Armin said something about tides coming and going, and decided to spend a few days just enjoying the sight.

"Where's Mikasa?" Armin asked, his eyes still watching the sparkling waves.

"Over there," Eren nodded off to his side. She was standing closer to the water than he was, the wind blowing her longer hair and her simple dress as the water rolled over her bare feet.

"She doing okay?"

Eren nodded, a smile pulling at his lips as he watched her. "Yeah, she's fine. I don't think I've ever seen her smile as much as she has recently."

"I could think of a situation that would probably have her smiling more."

Eren looked over to Armin who was looking very amused and smug. "Armin."

"Oh, come on, what are you waiting for?" Armin arched an eyebrow at him. "You've made plenty of excuses over the years, you know. 'We could die, that's not fair to her', 'We're too busy, the Scouting Legion needs us', 'There's no time right now', and excuse after excuse. What's the excuse this time? And don't say it's because we have to go back to work after this year is up because you're both senior officers, no one, Levi included, is gonna care if you have some personal happiness for once."

Eren shrugged. "I dunno."

"I think you do."

Eren shoved his shoulder into Armin's but the blond only laughed. "What's your problem, why're you pushing it so hard," he murmured.

"Because I'm tired of not seeing you two idiots happy. I've been watching you together since we were kids; there is no one else for either of you but each other. I understood while we were fighting, I did, but we're free now. It's about time you made yourself and her happy. What's the big deal anyway? You two practically live together already."

Eren kicked a bit of sand by his feet. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about it every day since they didn't have to live their days in fear of being killed at any moment. He even tried to tell her a few times, but he always chickened out when he saw her eyes looking back at him. "Who says she even feels the same way?"

"Everyone who has ever seen the way she still looks at you. From nine years old to twenty years old that look of love and devotion she has when she looks at you has never gone away." Armin nudged him in her direction. "Go make sure it never does."

Eren decided it probably wasn't best to keep arguing with Armin, it wouldn't get him anywhere but still on the same path walking to where Mikasa was standing. The water rolled in, running over his feet as went to stand next to her; where they once stood shoulder to shoulder, Eren had grown taller where Mikasa had stayed the same. It was still always a bit strange having to look down to her.

"Hey," he said, clearing his throat and shoving his stupid shaking hands in his pants pockets.

"Hi," Mikasa answered in her usual soft tone, but it was so much lighter these days. She glanced up to him. "What were you and Armin talking about?"

And she was still as observant as ever. "Nothing," Eren shrugged. "Just taking about what we wanted to do for dinner."

A smile pulled across her lips as she watched him. "You're lying."

"I am not," he snorted even though he was.

"You are. Your right eye twitches when you lie."

Eren had to laugh; only Mikasa would know something like that about him. "Alright, you got me. We were talking about…" He hesitated for a moment, trying to ignore the way his heart rate started to race. "What we're gonna do when we get back."

Mikasa nodded, her eyes still watching him. "What are you planning?"

He didn't miss that she just asked about him. "Well, go back to work for as long as they still need us there."

Her forehead furrowed. "As long as they need us? I always thought you'd stay in the military for life."

Eren always assumed so too, but sometimes things change. "I mean, yeah, I always wanted to be in the Scouting Legion, but I was and I am, we also defeated the people behind the Titans. All my goals that I wanted for us are finished. Well, save for one."

"What's that?"

His heart was pounding in his chest as he looked back out over the ocean but Armin was right. Eren spent so much of his life putting himself in danger or the good of humanity; it was about time he deserved to be happy too, really happy, and to make the one person he loved most in the world happy too. "I want a house. Not the military housing we all live in now, but a real house, somewhere outside the walls."

Mikasa didn't do such a good job hiding her surprise. She was the one who always talked about wanting a nice, safe home somewhere not him, but he learned that what would make her happy, would make him happy as long as she was there. "Who'd be there?" Her voice was breathless.

Eren didn't even have to hesitate when he looked down at her again. "You."

"And Armin?" She looked hesitant, like she wasn't quite sure what he was asking.

Eren almost heard Armin's voice laughing telling him to be a little more direct than that. "I mean, he could but…" Eren reached out to grab a hold of her waist, pulling her against him. "He might find it a little crowded."

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, her hands falling against his chest. He must've really caught her off guard because her mouth kept opening like she was going to say something but then would close again when nothing came out.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, reaching up to brush some of her hair out of her face that the wind had blown. "I'm sorry, Mikasa. I was terrified to tell you when we were fighting. How could I do that to you when I very well could have died the very next day? I should've told you when we were free, but then everything was so hectic and no time ever seemed right. I should've told you long before today, but I was afraid after all this time I lost my chance to tell you how much I love you, how much I've always loved you."

Mikasa leaned her head into his hand which was still lingering on her cheek. "You're the only person I've ever loved, that's never changed. It never will."

A particularly harsh wave crashed down near them, causing water to rush around their legs, soaking the lower parts of Eren's pants but he didn't care. All that mattered was that he leaned into the girl who was always by his side, the one who always believed in him, who never doubted him and his humanity, to kiss her, and she was kissing him back. Her hands reached up around his neck, pulling herself closer to him as he wrapped his arms around her back.

Finally, Eren understood why Armin was pushing so hard to just tell her. It was like there was a part of Eren was finally filled, the part that ached late at night when he was laying alone in bed but this, being with her, it was like breathing.

He leaned his forehead against hers; her eyes were closed, but he still felt her warm breath on his lips. "My dreams are complete, but they never would've been without you. I want to make your dreams come true too."

She looked up at him, her eyes bright and that soft smile he loved seeing on her face. "Eren." She reached up her hand to touch his cheek. "You already have."

He didn't hesitate to kiss her again, and he was pretty sure he never would.