Got this song stuck in my head one day and of course, the best way to get a song out of your head is to write a story about it. XD At the time I started this story years and years ago, EreMika still felt extremely one-sided, so it seemed like a perfect pair to work with this. AruAni is my main pairing, but I couldn't bear to put them through something like this! It would be too sad! (T_T) I'd hate myself for writing Armin falling for anyone but Annie! XD Okay, all joking aside, let's get on with the story.
This is a Modern Day American High School AU. I figure them to be around 16 years old. This is cross-posted on AO3 under the title "Teardrops on My Guitar."
Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan or "Teardrops on My Guitar" by Taylor Swift.
Mikasa sat on her bed staring blankly at the wall, schoolbag dumped on the ground with her notebooks and pens spilling out the flap. Shadows chased the fading light in front of her coal-grey eyes. How much time had passed? The sun had been high when she'd first plunked down. Usually, she'd have started on her homework by now, probably be finished with most of it. She still had chores to do, and she and Eren were going to call Armin later to work out the problems the three of them hadn't been able to solve on their own individually.
…
Eren….
"'I think I've met someone.'"
He'd been abrupt when he'd confided in her and Armin as he drove them home. His cheeks had flushed a dark pink that warmed his olive skin, and he'd grinned widely in elation. His glass-green eyes brimmed with excitement, and the timbre of his declaration was charged with hope.
Drew looks at me
I fake a smile so he won't see
She'd smiled dutifully and encouraged him to tell them more. She'd been the picture of friend and confidante as he'd talked about this girl. She'd been perfect. No one had noticed anything off. There was nothing to worry about.
…
That I want and I'm needing
Everything that we should be
Nothing to worry about besides that she wanted to be with Eren anyway. A breeze tickled the strands of her long, raven hair.
I'll bet she's beautiful
That girl he talks about
That girl he'd mentioned must be beautiful inside and out. Any girl who could captivate Eren's attention that thoroughly had to be.
And she's got everything that I'll have to live without
Not for the first time, she wondered if he'd notice her if she hadn't become his foster sister when they were nine. She sighed forlornly. It wasn't fair; she'd loved him since he'd found her passed out on the sidewalk after escaping from those thieves who'd killed her parents. She hadn't exactly been subtle about her affections these last seven years, either. She was intelligent, devoted, capable, hard-working, and if others were to be believed, pretty. What wasn't to like?
Drew talks to me
"Hey, Mikasa."
She snapped her eyes over to see the object of her thoughts leaning against her door frame, notebook in hand. "Yes, Eren?"
"Can we come in?" He shot his thumb behind him. "Armin came over; said that it would be easier to rehearse our parts for that dumb play in English in person, so we might as well finish our homework stuff at the same time."
She nodded and moved over to the desk so he could sprawl out on the bed while Armin took over the floor. "That works for me. Do you have your script?"
I laugh 'cause it's just so funny
Striking a pose, he responded in a stuffy, drawn-out voice, "To script or not to script? That is the question."
Armin chuckled while she rolled her eyes and suppressed a giggle. "I'll take that as a no, then?" she quipped in amusement.
That I can't even see
Anyone when he's with me
Eren shrugged. "It's still in my backpack, and I'm comfy. I've only got two lines. I figure it'd be easier to just borrow one of yours. "
She narrowed her eyes, a mischievous glint in them. "So lazy."
He shrugged good-naturedly. "C'mon, hand it over. I'll bet you've already got your lines memorized, so it's not like you need your copy anyway."
She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him but complied anyway. She never could deny him anything, even something as trivial as this. Besides, he was right: she had finished memorizing her lines earlier that day during class.
He says he's so in love
He's finally got it right
As she lay in bed that night, her mind replayed the conversation in the car over and over.
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night
She'd never heard him talk this way about anyone before. Sure, he had complimented other girls in random comments like saying that Annie was one of the best athletes in the school or how Sasha was the funniest girl he knew, but this was different.
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The passion and fire that always burned in his eyes was of course there, but what she couldn't get out of her head was the gentle awestruck bashfulness that flitted in and out.
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
There was this reverent undercurrent to his words. As if a part of him thought it was too good to be true.
He's the song in the car I keep singing
She shut her eyes with a sigh and firmly put the whole thing out of her mind so she could sleep. Maybe something would come of it; maybe nothing would come of it. But no matter what happened, he was her family. Slightly comforted by that thought, she dreamed of green eyes and wind-tousled hair.
Don't know why I do
A week later, Mikasa's brow furrowed in concern when she caught sight of Eren heading toward her while she made her way toward the cafeteria. This was the opposite direction from their usual meeting place, did he need to talk to her urgently about something?
Drew walks by me
His name had barely started to form on her lips when he breezed right by her, green eyes trained somewhere just over her shoulder.
Can he tell that I can't breathe?
Her breath hitched, afraid to turn even as her body moved of its own accord. That girl he'd mentioned, was he on his way to see her?
And there he goes
So perfectly
She shook imperceptibly. Time slowed as he made his way down the hall, strong and sure as he wove through the sea of students.
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
Then, he stopped and tousled the long blonde locks of a petite girl, a grin on his face and gentleness in his eyes. The girl turned, batting his hands away, suppressing a laugh, and Mikasa's world shattered.
She better hold him tight
Give him all her love
"So that's Historia," she thought numbly.
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky 'cause
Sound faded out of existence as she watched the two flirt, Eren's eyes brighter than she'd ever seen them.
He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
She started as she felt a drop of water hit her hand. Then another, and another, until she found herself bolting for the nearest restroom and heaving the contents of her stomach into the nearest toilet bowl.
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
Tears ran down silently as she slumped to the floor. It wasn't fair. All that wishing. All that waiting. All that hoping. She'd seen him first. Why couldn't it be her? Why couldn't he see her?
He's the song in the car I keep singing
"Mikasa?" Sasha poked her head into the stall. "Are you okay? I saw you barrel in here and—did you throw up?!" she shrieked.
Don't know why I do
"It hurts," she whispered as her friend supported the majority of Mikasa's weight across her shoulders. Her knees felt like jelly.
"Let's get you to the nurse," Sasha murmured sympathetically. "You look awful."
So I drive home alone
Mikasa stared blankly out the window as Mrs. Yeager drove her home. This was the first time she'd ever gone home without Eren. It felt wrong having someone else sit beside her. She rested her head against the cool glass. She supposed she'd have to get used to this feeling. Eren would probably reserve the seat beside him for Historia now.
As I turn out the light
Mikasa lay silently in the dark, the compress Mrs. Yeager had placed on her forehead cool and soothing. It felt nice to be cared for. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd been sick. As she turned her head, her eyes fell on an old picture of her with Eren and Armin on her eleventh birthday. Tears stung her eyes as she took in the carefree smiles and the way Eren's head rested against hers.
I'll put his picture down
And maybe get some sleep tonight
She flipped over to face the wall and wept for those days.
'Cause he's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart
Her first love. Her only love. Her savior. Her friend. Her inspiration. Her safe place in a cruel and chaotic world.
He's the song in the car I keep singing
There was no one else like him. There never would be.
Don't know why I do
All she'd ever wanted was to forever be by his side. As long as they were together, everything would be fine.
He's the time taken up
She'd go anywhere, do anything, to be with him. A solitary tear tracked down her nose.
But there's never enough
But he wanted someone else.
And he's all that I need to fall into
Her dreams that night were full of Eren and all that she wished could be.
Drew looks at me
He was the first person she saw the next day.
"Morning," Eren greeted around a mouthful of toothpaste. He rinsed and asked with a frown, "You feeling better today?"
She pulled her face into a smile and nodded. "Yes, Eren, I'm fine now." For him, she'd never let herself be anything but fine.
I fake a smile so he won't see
I personally like both the EreMika and EreKuri/EreHisu ships. When I first heard this song, though, I couldn't help but think that it would be a perfect one-sided EreMika story. I first started writing this story before Ymir was revealed to be a titan (wow, was that a long time ago), so I didn't have anyone in mind specifically for Eren's love interest. I had planned to either keep it super vague or just make it Krista (since she was still called Krista then XD) since I'd read a couple AruAni stories where Krista was Eren's love interest and figured, "Eh, why not? She'll do." I never thought at that time that they would actually become somewhat of a thing in the fandom. Crazy what can happen over the course of a series.
Hope you liked it!