Pairing: Eren/Mikasa

Setting: Post Series; Still in the military

Words: 2255

Rating: T (Language)

Notes: Anon asked for Eren trying to tell Mikasa how he felt but not being able to do it so he just said screw it and kissed her. It was so Eren I adored it. What a little dork, I love him so much. Title is from "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz.

I got an anon message me who said they had an awful week and asked if I could cheer them up with a post. So this one is for you, anon. I hope it makes you smile a little!

God Knows We're Worth It

Eren was gonna do it, he was finally just gonna do it. He was gonna go right up to Mikasa and tell her exactly how he felt about her. He was gonna knock right on her door to wake her up and tell her right away. He was gonna knock on the door…knock on the door…Goddammit.

With a groan, Eren dropped his hand from Mikasa's door and shoved his hands in his pockets, walking away. Well, that didn't last long. He had been at this for what felt like weeks now; every time he got enough courage up to finally tell the girl he knew for so long that he was in love with her he completely chickened out. He helped saved the world from Titans for God's sake, but he couldn't tell one girl how he felt about her. What he really wanted to do was hit his head against the wall, but he walked out of the newly built military housing and outside onto the dirt path leading the base that was still under renovations to expand. All of this was still pretty new, but now that the Scouting Legion actually had a job that wouldn't get them all killed all the time, they finally had some money to build a real base.

He kicked a few rocks on the path as he made his way to the mess hall to get some breakfast. The sun wasn't even up yet but that's what he got for trying to get up before Mikasa. Eren groaned again; yeah, that obviously went so well. He just wanted to go back to bed now, just wake up a little later and try to start the day over.

The sounds of the workers on the nearby buildings were kinda loud but generally the base was already up and moving at this time of the morning. He had no idea why he got so nervous every single time he tried to talk to her about it. It was Mikasa, he knew her since they were nine years old, she was one of his oldest friends, he knew her better than he knew himself so what was so damn hard about just telling her how he felt?

It wasn't because he was afraid she wouldn't feel the same way, well, it was at first but Armin nearly beat him when Eren asked what if she didn't? He was pretty sure she did to some degree at least; she wouldn't have put up with his dumbass for this long if he didn't. It was just, she was always by his side, for as long as he could remember and he wanted to make her happy, to make her smile all the time , to give her everything she wanted, everything she gave up to follow him to the end of the world and back. They were free now, he wasn't gonna die at any moment and leave her alone with nothing, he could finally let her know how much he always loved her.

Eren just didn't know how hard actually telling her that was gonna be.

He pushed open the mess hall doors seeing barely anyone there yet, just a handful of people munching down some food and sipping on some coffee. Thankfully, he did see the only person who got up before Mikasa sitting at one of the tables.

"Morning," Eren grunted, throwing himself down in the chair across from Armin.

Armin looked up from his breakfast, arching an eyebrow. "What're you doing up so early? Normally you aren't awake till the very last minute you can."

"I wish I was back in bed right now," he sighed, propping his head up on his hand, elbow balancing on the table. "But it would take far more time to take this uniform off and put it back on than it was worth."

"Why were you up this early then?"

Eren grunted again stuck between wanting to ask Armin for advice and not wanting to hear Armin's advice. "I went to see if Mikasa was up." There, that was subtle enough.

Armin leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "And she wasn't?"

Dammit. "I, uh, I'm not sure. I didn't actually…see her."

"So you got up early to see if Mikasa was awake but you didn't actually go to see if she was awake or not?"

"I went," Eren said. "I just…didn't knock on her door." He expected Armin to have quite a few words for Eren, mainly about how stupid he was acting over nothing really what he didn't expect was for Armin to start laughing.

"You're being so ridiculous, do you know that?" Armin said in between his laughter.

"Yes, I realize that, you ass," Eren rolled his eyes, trying to ignore his other oldest friend's laughter.

"Alright, alright," Armin said wiping his eyes. "I'm sorry, what seems to be the problem?"

Eren half wanted to just get up and walk away to spite Armin for laughing but Eren also really did need a better approach to what he was trying to do because obviously that wasn't working. "I dunno, every time I try to tell Mikasa how I feel I just know what I want to say and how to say it, but when it comes down to it I always back out. I didn't even have to look at her this morning and I chickened out."

Armin nodded, leaning up against the table. "What you need to do is figure out what's scaring you about telling her because obviously something is."

"I'm not scared of anything, its Mikasa. I talk to her every single day."

"Eren, there's a reason you kept walking away instead of just telling her. Are you afraid she is gonna turn you down or not feel the same way?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, I mean, I probably blew my chances a thousand times over by now." Great, now he actually was worrying about that.

"Trust me, Eren, that's not the case," Armin said. "Not with Mikasa. Are you nervous about talking to her, actually voicing what you wouldn't tell anyone for God knows how many years?"

Well, that sounded a bit more likely. "I mean, I'm not very good with words; that's always been you. Whenever I think about what to tell her, I know what I want to say but then it all leaves my head and I end up just gaping at her instead. It's awful, it's like…like…"

"Like you hate not being able to talk to her?"

"Yes," Eren breathed, feeling a bit of relief in his chest. "It's awful. I can always talk to her about everything and the fact I get so choked up every time is so frustrating."

Armin was quiet for a moment as he watched Eren. "You need to stop worrying about what it sounds like when you say it. It doesn't have to be some super romantic gesture, I mean, this is Mikasa, she won't want that. She'll just want you, something that comes from your heart. Stop overthinking it and just tell her."

Eren knew Armin was right, he always damn was. "Alright."

"She's walking over right now so you better do it this morning." Armin was already picking up the rest of his breakfast and standing up.

Eren looked over and sure enough, Mikasa was holding the door for a few other people leaving the mess hall; his heart started to race again.

"So get it out and get on with your lives for once."

"Armin," Eren hissed but the blond was already waving, that stupid smile on his lips.

"Hey, Mikasa," Armin said as he walked by her, heading right out the Goddamn door.

Mikasa looked a little confused when she looked over to Eren. "Where was he off to?"

"Dunno," Eren said, standing up so quickly he nearly tipped his chair over. "Uh, good morning. Sleep okay?"

Mikasa was now looking at him a little strangely. "Good morning, and yes it was fine. You?"

"Yeah, yeah, it was good. Do you wanna…?" Eren gestured to the front door; if he was gonna do this he wasn't gonna do it in the mess hall where people could just walk in at any time.

"Okay," Mikasa said but she still was looking a little confused. Regardless she followed him outside into the brisk morning air. The sun was still down but it was getting brighter out, which meant it would be time to start the work day soon.

If he was gonna do this he had to do it before they got split up for different jobs today. Armin was right, Eren had to do it so he'd stop dwelling on it.

"Alright," Mikasa said, looking up at him as they walked. "What's going on with you?"

"Heh?" Eren asked though his heart was in his throat.

"You've been acting strange for the past few weeks."

Eren wanted to hit himself; she had noticed his previous and very failed attempts. He didn't even know what to say so he just kept he walking down the path, the one that lead them back towards the housing area where hopefully wouldn't be too crowded with people. He saw Mikasa reach up to press a hand to his forehead. "Mikasa," he sighed, taking her hand in his to pull it away from his face. "I'm not sick."

Mikasa didn't say anything but when he looked down at her she was biting at her lower lip, dark eyes watching him. He knew that look, he knew it all too well; she was worried about him.

Jesus, he really was bad at this.

"Okay." Using the hand he was still holding he pulled her off the path and into the center of the housing area. Some gardens were planted but they weren't fully grown yet, but there were a few benches surrounded by some trees and there wasn't anyone there.

He sat down and Mikasa followed suit, looking more worried than ever. "Don't worry," he said knowing how her mind worked. "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine, I promise."

"Then what's been bothering you?"

This was it. He had to tell her. He knew if he told her it was nothing again she was just gonna get upset that he was keeping things from her and he didn't want that, not when he wanted to tell. He wasn't trying to push her away, it was completely the opposite.

"It's just…I just…" Eren felt his heart start to race, his hands getting clammy in his lap. He swallowed thickly. He knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, both inside and out, that there wasn't a single day he wanted to spend his life without her, that he always wanted to be by side, that he had loved her for years and years and he would always love her. "You…you know…I…"

He just wanted to scream but he couldn't stop dam stuttering out his words; everything was jumbled in his head when he went to say them. Why was this so hard? He could talk to her about anything why was telling her that he loved her so Goddamn hard?

"Eren." Her voice was soft and soothing; it started to calm his pounding heart and clear his cloudy mind.

He looked over to her as he felt his hand reach out to his cheek, her eyes shining with concern.

"What's the matter?"

This was her, this was Mikasa. No matter how many times he fucked up, no matter how many times he hurt her, no matter how many times he didn't deserve to be near her she was always still right there always picking him back up on his feet. There was no one more he loved more, and he wanted her to know that. He needed her to know that.

"Oh, fuck it," he murmured as he reached both of his hands to her face and pulled her into him. He didn't stop until his lips were pressed to hers.

Mikasa gasped, probably out of complete shock but he felt her start to move her mouth carefully with his. Her hands reached out to balance herself against his chest as her body leaned into him.

Eren sighed, his heart rate finally coming down and his nerves almost completely leaving him. He pulled away from her but only slightly so he could look her in the eyes. God, she was gorgeous. "I love you," he murmured. "I'm sorry I never knew how to tell you or how to even show you properly, but I do. I do and I always have."

"Eren," she said in that soft tone he got to hear much more often these days with that light smile on her lips as she leaned her head into his touch. "I love you too."

It was simple. It was that simple. He felt like a weight was off his shoulders and he leaned in to kiss her again. This time she was a bit better prepared, her arms reaching up around his neck to pull herself closer to him.

Suddenly Eren couldn't remember why the hell he had been so nervous in the first place; looking back it was the stupidest thing ever. Now that it was off his chest, now that she knew, now that she was finally in his arms, he never understood why he even waited as long as he did.