Pairing: Eren/Mikasa

Setting: Post Series

Words: 1761

Rating: K+ (Slight Sexual Implications)

Notes: This came to me at work one day, and suddenly had an immense desire to have Nicolas asked Mikasa where babies come from and much like her mother before her, she passes it off to Eren. I couldn't resist myself.

What Goes Around

"Hey, Mom?" Nicolas' voice was a little muffled, like he was talking with his mouthful and knowing the eight year old, he probably was; Eren couldn't really see Nic and Carla in the kitchen with Mikasa from his spot at the desk in the living room though.

"Yes?" she answered.

"How'd the baby get in your belly?"

Eren glanced up from the report he was filling out for Armin.

Mikasa merely smiled placing one hand on her swollen stomach and the other reaching out and ruffle Nicolas' hair. "With lots of love." It was the typical response given whenever Nic asked when she was pregnant with Carla and when Carla asked now that Mikasa was pregnant again.

"Mom," Nicolas laughed. "You always say that."

Mikasa poured some more water into Carla's cup while the little girl munched intently on her sandwich. "That's because it's the truth."

Eren had to bite back a laugh. Well, it certainly was, that and a bit of hormones.

"No," Nicolas said sitting up more in his chair. "I wanna know how it actually happens. It's not like you know, one day you wake up and there's a baby right?"

When did that kid get so smart? Eren needed to stop letting Armin babysit.

"No," Mikasa said carefully, sitting down at the table next to Nicolas. "You know that. It's a long process that takes about nine months for the baby to grow till it's ready to be born."

Nicolas nodded. "I kinda remember before Carla was a baby but I wanna know how the baby got there to start to grow."

"Me too!" Carla exclaimed though she was still young enough that she was probably agreeing with Nicolas for the sake of agreeing as opposed to really caring to know the answer.

"Why so curious? Do you wanna have a baby?" Mikasa poked Nicolas in the sides making the boy laugh.

"No way! I like having baby sisters or brothers and I'm still saying it's a brother," he said, dropping his half eaten sandwich on his plate and turning to face his mom.

"Nic," Carla whined, her feet kicking against her chair. "I want a sister!"

"It can only be one, Carla," Nicolas said matter of fatly before looking back to Mikasa. "Uh, right?"

"Well," Mikasa said thoughtfully rubbing her stomach lightly. "It's not impossible to have twins, one boy and one girl."

Eren choked from his spot, completely giving away that he was listening in.

"Try not to give your dad a heart attack though." Mikasa said trying to hide her laughter while the kids just laughed aloud.

"Daddy," Carla squealed, clearly thinking that was the funniest thing she heard all day.

"We'd have to build a whole new house if that was the case," Eren said, leaning back in his chair; he already had to get a new addition built onto the house when Mikasa found out she was pregnant with their third child otherwise there weren't enough rooms to go around.

"How'd you know?" Carla asked. "If there were two babies and not just one?"

"The doctor would probably hear two heart beats I would assume, maybe he could feel two babies moving around, and if worse came to worse you'd know if two babies were born instead of one."

Carla giggled again biting back into her sandwich.

"But how'd the babies get there, whether there were two or one?" Nicolas was back to his original question though Eren had hoped the change of topic would make him forget. Apparently that boy had a one track mind.

"Why so curious today, Nicolas?" Mikasa asked. "You've never showed this much interest before other than were you having a sister or a brother."

Nicolas hesitated a typical sign that he got cornered in a question he didn't want to answer. At least Eren knew Nic was smart enough not to even attempt to lie to his mother. "Well," Nicolas started. "James said his parents told him it took two people to make a baby."

"James from school?" Mikasa asked to which Nicolas nodded. She sighed clearly knowing now Nic was the one cornering her. "James isn't wrong, it does take two people to make a baby."

"But how does it happen?"

Mikasa was quiet for a moment her hand still running over her stomach but Eren saw a small glint in her eyes, a smile pulling at her lips. She better not do what Eren thought she was about to do. "I think," Mikasa said. "That is a question better suited for your dad."

Nicolas looked over at Eren causing him to cut his glare at Mikasa short. "Dad?" Nic asked in that innocent voice of his. How the hell was Eren supposed to say no to that?

"Alright, go on," Eren sighed standing up from his desk and gesturing to the front door.

"But I wanna know too," Carla whined from the table.

"When you're older, sweetheart," Mikasa said, pushing herself to her feet.

"Much older," Eren said stopping in front of Mikasa as Nicolas took off to wait on the porch. "Glad this is so amusing," Eren mumbled to Mikasa.

She reached out to place her hands on his shoulders. "I'll get the next one," she smiled. "You don't have to tell him everything, just enough to satisfy the curiosity. I'm sure you can hold off on the actual talk for a few more years."

"Alright," he sighed but Mikasa leaned in to press her lips to his.

"I'm sorry," she murmured against him. "My mom did the same thing to my dad when I was Nic's age."

"Yeah, yeah." Eren put his hands on her waist as he kissed her again. "You're lucky I love you."

Mikasa laughed, hitting her hand against his shoulder. "Go on, we'll be fine in here."

"Alright." He stepped back towards the door before looking over to his daughter. "Carla, watch over your mama for me, okay?"

"Kay, Daddy." Carla waved as Eren walked out the front door.

Nicolas was sitting on the front steps looking out at the yard when Eren opened the door. Jesus, how was he supposed to talk to his eight year old son about sex without actually telling him about sex? Eren didn't think he'd have to do this quite yet.

"Okay," Eren said sitting down next to his son. "So you wanna know how babies are made, huh?"

"Yeah," Nicolas said. "I have a baby sister and another baby sister or brother but I dunno how they got here but for being in Mom's belly."

"That's where you and your siblings grew like your mom said," Eren nodded. "As for how babies get there you were on the right track. It does take two people, a mom and a dad. The baby grows in the mom's belly but a dad has to be there for the baby to get…" He thought "conceived" was a bit too much. "Made."

Nicolas looked up at Eren, forehead scrunched. "But how does a baby get made? What does a dad do? What'd you do, Dad? Must've been something, there's three of us."

Eren nearly snorted; he made a mental note to bring this conversation back up when Nicolas was sixteen. "Well." Eren rubbed his hands together absent mindedly as he tried to figure out how to phrase this. "You know how boys and girls have different bodies, right?"

Nicolas nodded. "Girls have boobies." That brought on a giggle fit.

"Girls have boobies," Eren repeated with a smile and shake of his head. "That's true enough but those different parts work together to make a baby which is why you can't have a baby without a mom and a dad."

Nicolas looked like he was trying to work it out in his head but Eren hoped that explanation would do it. He didn't really want to explain much more than that.

"Simple as that?" Nicolas asked.

Leaving out the graphic details of what sex actually was and that, yeah, that's how you intentionally made a baby but it's also how you spent quality and a pleasurable time with the woman you loved and could sometimes result in making a baby when you weren't trying to like the newest addition to the Jaeger family, more or less Eren's explanation was right on.

"Simple as that," Eren said.

Nicolas didn't look convinced and Eren really had to get Armin to stop babysitting.

"How about you ask me that again in about six years?" Eren reached over to ruffle Nic's hair before pushing himself to his feet; it really was all Nic needed to know about at this point. The talk could come later when it would actually make sense to him.

"Aww, Dad," Nicolas groaned but he must've known he wasn't getting anything else outta Eren.

"I answered your question didn't I?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then come back inside and finish your sandwich."

Nicolas stood to his feet, though a bit dramatically and scurried in through the door, back to his seat at the table with Eren following behind.

"Did you get your answer, Nicolas?" Mikasa asked. She was sitting down on the couch with Carla's head in her lap, the little girl sound asleep; she must've tired herself out.

Nicolas nodded. "Yeah, but Dad said I had to ask again when I was older."

"Or," Eren said, sitting down next to Mikasa and placing an arm around her shoulder. "You can ask your Uncle Armin."

"Do you think he'd tell me more?" Nicolas' face brightened up.

"Eren," Mikasa mumbled, moving to hit her hand against his chest though he caught it before she could. She was laughing; she must've pictured Armin's face at the question. "You know he'd probably tell stories about…" Her voice dropped down. "Us as examples for payback."

"You know, Nic, probably not," Eren cleared his throat.

Nicolas munched on his sandwich defeated but he didn't object this time.

"When did he start growing up so fast?" Eren sighed, leaning his head back against the couch.

"It's what kids do," Mikasa gave him a warm smile, rubbing her hand against his leg. "You'll be giving him the real talk before you know it."

Eren had to resist a groan; he didn't think he was ready for that thought. He put in hand on Mikasa's belly though it was a little too early to feel the baby move often. He leaned down so his face was close to her stomach. "Baby, I sincerely hope you're a girl."

Mikasa did hit him in the chest that time.