Do you cry out in your sleep, all my failings exposed?
There's a taste in my mouth as desperation takes hold
Just that something so good, just can't function no more
'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division
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It's a bright and sunny day in late September and you find yourself driving through the streets of Los Angeles, heading out to the city of Inglewood. You smile through your dark sunglasses as you roll up to a high school on a Thursday morning, class already in session.
You walk through a high school's hallway, passing students bent over their books or goofing off in classes. You pass the gymnasium where students play basketball, and the empty theatre till you make your way out to the school's state-of-the-art football field. You watch quietly as the football team do laps and passes around the field, over-exerting themselves. Some of these players are working their asses off to get good enough to be noticed by recruiters coming from colleges around the state. One of these players is 17-year-old Devon and you watch as he groans in pain and holds his chest as he keeps running laps.
"COME ON DEVON, PICK UP THE PACE!" his coach calls out. Devon does that, pushing himself to his limit.
You step onto the field with your heels, wearing a halter top and blue jeans, your hair styled into beach waves. You watch and step out of the way of teammates whizzing past you and come to a stop as Devon runs past you.
"Hi Devon!" you call out cheerfully and the boy turns to look at you, his eyes wrought with confusion.
"Huh? Who are you? You can't be here!" he calls as he turns to you.
"I'm afraid I have to be hun," you smile apologetically and take off your sunglasses. You smile that knowing smile and Devon stops fully and looks at you.
"No..." he says, his face dropping. "You—you can't just show up like this! I'm only 17! I'm graduating next year, I just got my first girlfriend, Coach says I got real promise!"
"I'm so sorry Devon," you say sympathetically, "but your time is up."
Devon sniffs, "But I—I don't wanna go..."
"I know honey," you say sympathetically as you go up to him and hold his hand, helping him to feel a sense of calm. "There's nothing to be afraid of Devon, I'll take you back with me to a place where you'll be able to see your loved ones, you'll be able to say your good-byes to your dad, to your brother, to Stacey..."
"Whe—where is that? Heaven?" Devon cries and you rest your hand on his chest.
"Somewhere like heaven for our people, I'm taking you to the paths. It's a place for all people with Eldian blood..."
The boy shakes his head, "Elda what? What's that? I dunno anything about that..."
"Don't be afraid, I'll show you what it is," you smile gently and take his hand and help him lie down on the green turf.
Devon wipes his eyes, "Can—can you hold my hand... I'm scared..."
"Of course, I can; it's what I'm here for," you soothe and caress his cheek. Soon he sniffs sadly and nods gently, he's ready as much as someone dying at 17 can be. With that you smile gently at him as you press your hand into his chest and breathe in his soul and Devon stares off into the fluffy clouds and blue sky.
"DEVON? DEVON, GET UP, LAPS AIN'T OVER!" his coach calls out
You get up and walk away as you hear his teammates and coach call out Devon's name and soon rush to huddle over him. Your chest swells as you feel his young, active soul within your heart as you pull out your pocketbook to watch Devon's name be replaced with a new one and make your way to your next appointment for the day.
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One morning, after another restless night of dreaming, Eren wakes up and vows once and for all to move on. No more memories, no more thoughts, no more regrets, he's moving forward. He dives headfirst into his passions, determined to get on with it, get on with life. After a couple of weeks, he begins writing music again, pulling out his guitar and strumming his strings. He smiles to himself as he feels the lifting of a melody rise from the movement of his fingertips. He closes his eyes, zones out, and lets a genuinely passionate smile crawl across his face for the first time in so long. He becomes a genuine musician once more; he also becomes a player once more. He completely goes back to the life he lived before he moved into your home.
Now it's been a year, it's been a whole year since Eren moved out to Marley to get away from everything, get away from you. He hasn't seen you, any part of you, since the vision of you drifted away, leaving him forever.
One day in May, Eren steps into a Lucerne coffee shop to pick up an order of three coffees for him and his mates. He smiles to himself, still feeling a little fuzzy from the date he had with a local college girl the night before. What was her name again? God, he doesn't even bother keeping track anymore. His eyes trail around the coffee shop till they fall on a community pinboard with college brochures. He keeps his eyes on them before he snaps out of his trance as his name is called out by the barista.
When he gets back home, he hands out coffee to his roommates and Floch gives him a super wide smile.
"What? What the fuck are you grinning like an idiot for?"
"Cause I got a message from Reiner..."
Eren raises an eyebrow. "Okay...so?"
"Sooo the guys are all flying out here, we're bringing the band back together Eren..." Floch chuckles as he takes a big bite of his breakfast sandwich.
"Oh we are, are we?" Eren scoffs though he can't help but grin himself.
"Yep, enough time has passed," Floch smiles, reflecting. "We all think it's time to start again. So Jean and Reiner are flying out later this week on Thursday."
"Wow," Eren grins wide. "Can't believe we'll have our own family reunion huh?"
"Well, a little one at least," Marco grins.
Eren nods, his mind wandering as he thinks about his friends, his chosen family... thinks about her...
He's been in touch with her ever since he left, talking to her almost every day. She's the only woman he can bear to talk to for more than a few minutes to be honest. She's caring, she's cheerful, she's goofy and he finds himself constantly reminded of those days in high school. Back when he so young and optimistic about the life ahead him. Back when she was girlfriend, his one and only...
Eren goes up to his room and plops on his bed, sighing heavily as he pulls out his phone. He hesitates for a few minutes, feeling real nervousness.
"Oh what the hell..." he mutters quietly and taps the number.
The phone rings and she picks up on the second ring. "Mmm hello Eren," she says sleepily.
"Hey Mikasa," Eren says, his cheeks flushing. "Sorry, I forgot you guys are behind, did I wake you?"
"Mmm sorta," she laughs lightly. "It's okay, I don't mind, what's up?"
"Ohhh well," Eren says, feeling his heart skipping beats. "I umm I heard the guys are coming here for a band reunion..."
"Yeah, I think Jean said something about that in the group chat," Mikasa yawns. "He said he was looking forward to going away for a while, he's still not talking to me much..."
"Oh..." Eren says in disappointment. "That's too bad... I was umm hoping maybe you'd tag along?"
"Me? Tag along? You mean come out to Marley?"
"Yeah," Eren chuckles. "We could use a fangirl to cheer us on when we're jamming... I mean... ugh you know what it's stupid. Sorry I'll go, sorry for waking—"
"It's not stupid!" Mikasa says quickly. "I'd...I'd love to come too Eren..."
"Really?" Eren smiles wide, "You really wanna join?"
"Yeah, my parents have been driving me crazy since I moved back in. I could use a holiday..."
"Okay, well they come on Thursday? You think you can join them?"
"I'll try," Mikasa laughs. "I might have to come later but I will come..."
"You promise?" Eren says hopefully.
"I promise," Mikasa laughs lightly. "Ohhh....wow, what the hell?" she mutters.
"What?"
"Eren, it was sunny here just a few minutes ago but these dark clouds just rolled in... it's like the mood of the weather turned..."
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Eren waits anxiously for Mikasa to show, he's so excited to see her. Truth be told, Eren doesn't know what to be more excited for; the band getting back together or getting to see Mikasa again after a full year apart from her.
On Thursday, Jean and Reiner both touch down in Lucerne and get a taxi to the brownstone just a little over a block from the sea. The guys all hug and laugh as the band, save for Connie, is reunited once more. "Can't believe we're in this house again!" Reiner laughs as he takes in the interior. "It actually looks really fucking good now that it's being lived in!"
"Doesn't it?" Marco grins as him and Jean share a hug. "This place has become quite the party house too!"
"Oh, is that right?" Reiner grins. "I uhh don't suppose you guys got anything planned for while we're here?"
"Uhh fuck yeah we do," Floch says as he comes into the living room and offers the guys beers just as Eren comes down the stairs. "We're gonna be throwing a party tonight actually."
"Fuck yeah," Eren grins as he heads to Reiner and gives him a hug. "I could use a good de-stressor tonight."
"What stress do you possibly have to destress from Jaeger?" Jean scoffs as he sits down on the couch. "You don't fucking work."
"I don't," Eren grins smugly. "But it can get stressful juggling all these girl—" he stops abruptly and looks around. "Hey Jean... where's Mikasa?"
"Oh..." Jean says and clears his throat. "She uhh had a work thing apparently. She texted us to let us know she'll be flying in next week."
"Aww... damn," Eren says, unable to mask his disappointment. "I was really excited to see her..."
"Well you will see her Eren," Jean says, side-eyeing him and shuffling uncomfortably. "Next week..."
Eren nods quietly, smiling to himself. "Good..."
That night the house is packed in with people as rock music plays out on the speakers. There are people hanging out in damn near every nook and cranny, there's people smoking out in the garden and up on the rooftop patio. The patio has a projector playing music videos on it and eventually someone starts playing some of Paradis Devils' top singles.
Eren's seated on a couch on the rooftop, chuckling between a couple of co-eds as he sips on his fifth beer. They're both flirtatiously asking him about going back to school.
"So you're really gonna be on our campus in September?" one of the girls, cute with long auburn hair grins and Eren nods enthusiastically.
"Oh yeah definitely, I'm finally going back to finish my Biology degree."
"And why are you going back?" the brunette laughs as she sips from her red cup.
Eren smirks deviously. "To pick up co-eds."
The two girls giggle and the brunette smacks him playfully. "Come on Eren, what's the real reason you're going back?"
Eren thinks about it for a minute. "To pick up co-eds and party..."
"Well...you're already doing that with us," the girl with auburn hair says and Eren grins and takes a swig of his beer. Just as he does, the playlist starts playing All in or Nothing, and Eren listens to it intently for a while before reaching down and squeezing one of the girls' thighs.
"Hey," he smiles. "I got a guitar set up in my room, you two wanna see it? I could play you something..." The two girls exchange looks and nod frantically and the three get up and head for the stairs. Eren looks back at the projector and sees a redheaded model used for his music video. He watches as she and Eren slow dance together in the woods, a fire raging behind them, the ground littered with beer bottles. He watches as she leaves his side and disappears into the dark, leaving him alone forever. With that, Eren turns away and heads downstairs too.
He grins at the two woman and grabs both their hands to take to his room.
"Get out!" he calls out, clearing the room of people smoking and chatting in his space and soon it's just the three of them giggling as they eagerly remove their clothes.
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The next morning Eren's lying in bed naked, spooning one of the girls while the other spoons him. Eren sighs contently as he cuddles into black hair and kisses a neck. He moans softly as he pulls one of the girls closer to him as the other stirs and shifts her red hair and kisses his neck softly, rubbing her hand into his chest. Eren moans and keeps his eyes closed as both girls lean over him to kiss each other as he draws the one girl to him. The two girls kiss each other languidly, moaning against each other's lips.
Eren's eyes lazily open to see you and Mikasa laughing above him, kissing and giggling into each other's mouths. You moan softly as your tongue slowly slides into her mouth as she caresses your skin timidly. You let out a soft laugh to feel her shyness and pull her in closer so your tongue can plunge further into her. Eren barely startles as he watches, he's too insanely turned on as you two make out right on top of him.
You break free from each other and smile at Eren, beckoning him to join and he doesn't hesitate before sitting up and crashing his lips into yours. You moan dirtily as his own tongue plunges in to kiss you hungrily before he turns and does the same to Mikasa. He kisses her so hungrily, he's been wanting to for a long time and he breaks away from her kiss to kiss her long swan-like neck and pin her closer to him. You kiss the back of his arm as he and her moan into each other's mouth and Eren quickly grabs you to pull you in so he can wrap his arms around the both of you. You and Mikasa begin kissing together passionately as he watches you both with full lust in his eyes.
You both hold each other, rubbing your hands up and down each other's bodies. You delicately run a hand down Mikasa' chest, cupping her breast, running your thumb over her pink nipple. You rub it and exclaim softly at it growing hard under your touch before pulling her closer to you to kiss her possessively. Eren leans in and the three of you share kisses and share a passionate 3-way kiss as Eren rubs his hands over both your backs and down your asses. His fingers slide between both of your slits as the two of you kiss once more, you gripping her short black hair. Eren slides his fingers inside both of you and groans in pleasure to feel both of your tight, wet walls in his grasps as you both hold each other. Mikasa kisses you, growing more confident with each passing moment and soon her tongue slides down your throat as Eren fingers both of you eagerly.
You sigh as her mouth travels down your throat as Eren yanks your hair back to kiss you forcefully as Mikasa kisses you softly on your breast, her tongue gliding around it, making it harder and harder. Eren groans in sexual frustration as he grabs Mikasa and kisses her just as forcefully as he keeps a grip on your hair. You swat his hand away and pull Mikasa away from his lips to kiss her once more, wrapping your arms around her once more as Eren groans some more. He wraps his arms around both of you and lays back down on the mattress as the two of you keep kissing and you soon climb over Eren to kiss Mikasa fully, the both of you moaning in each other's mouths pleasurably. You both sink into the mattress together, kissing each other as you caress her soft delicate skin. Your hand travels down her chest as Eren rolls over to share a kiss with you both, all your cheeks burning hot as you all whimper and moan as your tongues twist and lips melt together.
Eren reaches down to begin playing and rubbing his hard drooling cock, moaning softly as he watches you two passionately make out, your tongues sliding together. As you hover over Mikasa, your hand traveling down her smooth skin, her sculpted torso, past her cute little belly button and down into the soft bush of pitch black hair and your fingers slowly glide languidly into the wet folds of her slit. Mikasa lets out a soft moan and her back arches slightly as your fingers firmly rubs her fleshy slit, your thumb pressing into her budding clit. Her cute little gasps turn into real moans as you move your lips to glide down to her breasts, as Eren kisses her longingly.
You open your mouth wide to take in her large breast as your fingers keep rubbing her pussy, wet and juicy and throbbing. Your thumb presses and teases her clit as you begin moaning and kissing and sucking her breast as she lets out a series of heavy sighs. Your mouth encircles her darker pink nipple as Eren groans and keeps kissing her and pumping his cock in his hand. You suck her nipple needily as your fingers begin to slide inside her depth and Mikasa lets out a soft cry as you do.
You pump into her slowly as her hips shyly buck into your hand. You tease the inside of her walls, stretching and rotating your fingers, flicking them up and drenching them in her moist juices. You keep hungrily sucking her nipple, letting your tongue lap around its ridges and creases as your fingers pump steadily into her. Eren sits up on his knees as he watches Mikasa lean down as you pop her hard nipple out of your mouth. You both kiss and let your tongues dance as you keep pumping into her as Eren rubs his arms into both of you.
"Fuck, my two favourite girls," he moans. He smiles dreamily, his heart swelling with pride, his cock twitching in agony. You let your tongue slide in Mikasa, barely registering Eren as you keep moaning and let your fingers slide in and out of her tight, wet, pussy. Eren moans hard as he leans in for another three-way kiss, all your tongues sliding against each other before he moves to get behind you.
You move down, letting your tongue glide and your lips graze Mikasa as you feel Eren take a firm hold of your hips. Your mouth grazes down your raven-haired beauty, kissing her as her finger glide through your long red curls and you eagerly trail your head down to her engorged pink pussy, glazing from how wet it is. Eren moans and wraps his arms around you from behind, letting his chin rest on your back as you wrap your arms around Mikasa thighs and let your mouth graze her soft moist clit.
"Ohhh my god," she lets out a hungry moan as you begin running your tongue over her fleshy clit as Eren begins rubbing your own vigorously. Your hair lays all down your back as you keep pumping her and tonguing her clit enticingly as Eren moans hungrily as he keep pumping his fingers in you.
You all lay on that bed, moaning and sighing in deep pleasure as Eren presses well into your pussy. You kiss Mikasa's wet and juicy slit as Eren slowly guides his cock into you. You let out a soft gasp as he begins pounding you hungrily, grunting as he does. You moan as he grips your hips and pounds you raw as you dive right into Mikasa's pussy, lapping it hungrily as she moans and widens her legs.
You glide your tongue up and down her sweet-tasting folds as she grabs a hold of your hair. She holds it as she bucks up into your face, grinding into you as you taste her tangy sweet juices and reach up to grab and squeeze her breasts as you unleash moans into her. Eren grunts primally as he fucks you hard.
"Ohhh Rose," he moans passionately as you moan and grip Mikasa thighs hard as you feel his long fat cock stretch out your insides, a pleasure that you've missed for so long. You moan and sigh as you keep hungrily eating Mikasa's delicate pussy out, so amazed at how good it tastes. Eren moans as he pulls you up to sit against his chest as he pounds you from behind, his hands digging into your hips. You sigh as he whimpers and kisses your neck and you hold your hands out for Mikasa to come join.
She smiles as she sits up and kisses your mouth needily, your tongues moving once more. You all move together as one, Eren groaning happily as he picks up the pace and begins fucking you wildly. You feel your pressure rising, pushing against your mouth and cry out. Arching your back, you gasp pleasurably as Mikasa starts playing with your slit as you're sandwiched between her and Eren. You throw your head back against Eren's chest in utter ecstasy and a wave unleashes on all three of you as Eren pounds you mercilessly and Mikasa rubs your throbbing clit.
Eren and Mikasa look at each other longingly, their eyes planted on each other. They move in and kiss passionately and you're squished between them as you all move quickly. Eren grunts and pants and grinds into you, climbing to his climax but his attention is on Mikasa as he pins her close to him in a tight embrace. He groans and pulls out of you and climbs on Mikasa as she pants in delight and spreads her legs wide for him. You move back to kiss Eren who pushes you away before turning back to wrap his arms around Mikasa.
You're effectively kicked out of the threesome as Eren slides into her and the two of them groan passionately. Eren kisses her longingly as he begins sliding in and out of her more longingly, taking his time with her in a way her didn't with you. You watch as they let out passionate pants as they rock together, entwining their fingers as they pant each other's names, their attention only on each other.
You feel your chest heave painfully as you sit there rejected as Mikasa and Eren kiss each other and sigh happily into each other's mouths. They fuck passionately for minutes, their eyes fixed on each other and climax together. Your eyes fall as you silently move to lay down on the pillow, turning away from them as they keep fucking for a while longer before Eren moans in delight and collapses on Mikasa as she holds him in her arms protectively.
"That... that was fucking amazing..." Eren pants heavily as Mikasa chuckles and kisses him softly.
"It really was Eren..." she says as she cradles his hair. Eren smiles lazily and moves to kiss her deeply as he comes down. He reluctantly pulls out of her to come lie down next to you. He smiles as he looks over at you lying on your side and sighs as he moves over to check on you.
"You okay Rose?" he sighs. "Say something, you haven't spoken once..."
He kisses your neck and wraps his arms around you. "Come on baby, talk to me," he murmurs in your ear before realizing you've fallen into a state of death-like sleep. He shakes you and says your name to wake you up, but you can't or won't. He sighs and turns to see Mikasa's disappeared from his side, and he realizes this was all just some dream, concocted by you or him, he doesn't know.
He turns and looks down at you and nestles into your red hair, there's no point taking you back to the paths now. He's too physically drained. Even if that wasn't real, it sure felt real. Eren drifts off to a deep sleep himself, his cock still throbbing as it lays against your back.
He wakes up the next morning, groaning as sunlight pours in and shines on his face. He yawns and rubs his eyes sleepily and turns to see you're gone. He's all alone in his bed, you and Mikasa gone. He grabs his phone and fires off a quick good morning message to Mikasa and she almost immediately responds. Eren grins and sits up and quickly calls her.
"Hey, good morning," he chuckles when he hears her sweet voice. "How was your night?"
"Ohh you know, it was alright," she chuckles softly. "My mom and dad are driving me nuts with questions about you.."
"Oh yeah?" Eren grins, having met them countless times. They were always so cheerful and welcoming to him, especially when the two of them dated in high school. They definitely were pushing hints about marriage hard on the two teens.
"Yeah, they're so excited about the idea of me seeing you again. They want me to keep them updated about you!"
"Hmm," Eren hums, his cheeks flushing. "Uhh Mikasa, I was wondering, this is gonna be a random question but did you happen to dream of Rose last night?"
There's a soft gasp on the other line and a silent pause. "Oh my god... how did you know I dreamt about her?"
"I did too!" Eren smiles, his cheeks burning even harder. "Fucking crazy, wasn't it? I didn't want it too end."
"I did..." Mikasa says quietly. "She was crying Eren..."
"She was..." Eren says slowly, feeling his excitement coming down.
"Yeah, she was trying to comfort me after I had this terrible dream about the three of us. She comforted me and then she tried to hide her own tears from me... she looked so sad and lonely Eren, my heart broke for her..."
"Mikasa... it was just a dream," Eren says slowly. "I'm sure it didn't mean anything. Please don't let it bother you, I don't want it to ruin your visit."
"Don't worry Eren, it won't," Mikasa chuckles. "I'm looking too forward to this trip to let anything ruin it! Wait, what was your dream about?"
Eren shifts and coughs. "Ugh nothing, don't worry babe. It didn't mean anything either..."
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Mikasa lands in Lucerne a couple days later. Jean wanted to go and pick her up from the airport, but Eren insisted on going himself. Now he sees the airplane land and a big smile grows across his face. As he sees her walk into the airport, he quickly puts his hair back into its manbun, and quickly walks up to her. Mikasa's dark grey eyes fall on him and she lets out a delighted laugh and runs up to him and they both pull in for tight hug, Eren lifting her up happily as they do.
"I missed you Mikasa," he whispers quietly, and she nods in his arms.
"I missed you too Eren," she whispers back.
They drive back home in Eren's Jaguar, happy to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and country together. Mikasa happily points out all the farms and ranches on the outskirts and Eren laughs as he watches just how much her face lights up to be here.
"So how are you liking living in Lucerne Eren?" she grins as they drive into the outskirts.
"I like it a lot," Eren chuckles. "It's really nice and peaceful here, there's no media people or hordes of fans. I just get to hang out here with the guys and make music... did I tell you I've been thinking about going back to school?"
Mikasa giggles and nods. "You did Eren, your dad would be so proud of you finishing your degree. Have you thought about the MCAT?"
Eren shifts in his seat. Frankly he has, he's thought a lot lately about going to med school. There's a part of him that wants to get into the field, follow in his dad's footsteps, just as Grisha always wanted. He's 25, as much as being a rock star forever once appealed to him, his perspective has changed a bit... But then again, does he even have enough time? Becoming a doctor takes years and Eren's not sure how many he has left...
"Mmm I dunno Mikasa," he sighs. "I... I haven't really thought that far. Right now I just wanna focus on getting my degree."
The two of them chat for the rest of the car ride back, chatting as freely as they did back when they were in high school, before Eren turned into an asshole and broke up with her a few months before graduation. They pull up to the house and Jean's waiting right at the door for Mikasa, but when he sees her and Eren get out of the car laughing together, he stiffens and goes back inside.
For the next few days, Eren and the band gradually get back into the groove of jamming together again. They haven't played once since the tour and now with no label and no corporate obligations, they're free to play just for themselves. With the feeling of his guitar in his hands again, Eren feels his heart swell and soar as he strums, feeling a creative flow take over him for the first time in years.
He's writing songs again, excitedly scribbling down lyrics whenever they form in his head. He strums out their melodies and his spirits lift when he thinks of her, thinks of her beautiful dark grey eyes, her gorgeous black hair, her blushing smile whenever their eyes meet from across the room.
Eren thinks he's falling in love with her all over again. No, he knows he is. He wants to pick her up and twirl her around the house, kiss her soft pink lips, scream her name from the mountain tops. Every time their eyes meet, they both flush and smile while looking away quickly. There's only one complication, she's only broke up with Jean a few weeks ago... and that's made the relationship between the three of them civil at best.
A week into the visit, Eren catches Reiner and Jean looking at the Polaroid wall on the second floor. They're pointing and chuckling at the band's antics from their touring days. Reiner falls quiet and stiffens as he begins scanning each row and after some time so does Jean.
"Guys, what are you doing?" Eren asks as he watches them cautiously.
"You don't have any pictures of Rose up here Jaeger..." Jean says in disbelief.
"No. I don't," Eren says and crosses his arms.
"You have 7 pictures of Mikasa here and she was with us for two weeks..." Reiner says as he steps back and looks at Eren in shock. "Rose was with us for three months and there's not a single picture..."
"Yeah, I already said there wasn't," Eren says defensively.
"You don't have a single fucking picture of her in this whole house..." Jean says, his brows furrowing. "There's nothing about her here. We're not even allowed to fucking talk about her. She was your wife man; she was pregnant with your kid... How the fuck can you live with yourself, acting like she didn't exist? What the fuck Eren??"
Eren glares at Jean and Reiner, both showing signs shock and anger. He looks at Reiner, daring him to talk. "Go on Braun, I know you've been dying for an opportunity like this to show up. Say something..."
Reiner looks at him and gulps hard. "I never thought I'd live to see the day where I actually believed you didn't deserve her."
Eren scoffs. "Oh what and you did?!"
"Damn fucking right I did!" Reiner says angrily and steps forward. "I'd never for one second dream of showing this amount of disrespect to the woman I loved! Where the fuck is your shame? How the fuck do you sleep at night?" Reiner huffs and throws his hands up. "You know what? I'm washing my hands of the whole fucking thing. I'm going for a walk."
He bounds down the stairs and out the door, leaving Eren and Jean alone in the hallway. Eren turns to Jean, giving him that same petulant stare down.
"What?! Fucking speak Jean. I know you got a lot of shit pent up about me right now..." Jean uncharacteristically stays quiet and Eren gets angrier. "FUCKING TALK JEAN! WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"I know what's happening between you and Mikasa, Eren... I'm not a fucking idiot despite what either of you think."
Eren shifts in his feet, keeping his arms crossed. "I'm...I'm sorry man. I don't know what to say..."
Jean scoffs in disgust. "Please. Don't act so fucking humble Jaeger, I know for a fact that you don't give a shit. You coulda had any girl out there and you chose Mikasa and she jumped right back into your arms cause that's all she's ever wanted to do."
Eren looks away. "It's not like that..." he mutters.
"It's exactly like that. She's always held out for you; you knew it, I knew it, she knew it. I fucking saw her face on the phone when Rose showed off her ring that night. She smiled, but I knew deep down, she was fucking devastated." Jean huffs angrily and Eren lowers his eyes to the floor.
"She was my girlfriend but the minute the dust settled; you two fucking started talking again. You both knew what you were doing. And all I fucking know is that one day, you're gonna wake up and realize you were a fucking jerk to me and to Rose. And neither of us will be around for your apologies when you do." With that, Jean walks off to the guest room, slamming the door behind him and leaving Eren to look over the Polaroids in complete silence.
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A few nights later, the gang all goes out to a local bar to eat after a full afternoon of jamming together. They may have had a real fight but they're still willing to jam together, if for no other reason than to make music. They may be on rocky ground right now as friends, but they'll always bond over their music.
The gang walk through the small mountainous city till they come across Kit Kat Alley, one of Eren's favourite spots. He grins to himself when they walk in, seeing Mikasa's grey eyes light up when she sees an old oak tree planted right in the middle of the place.
The group all shuffle into a booth and Eren orders a round of drinks for everyone. "This place looks really familiar Eren," Jean says as he habitually throws his arm around Mikasa, before remembering himself and moving away, much to Eren's irritation. "We've been here before, right?"
"Mmm yeah," Eren says, eyeing Mikasa and feeling his cheeks burn. "We had the reception here..." He smiles slowly to himself. "You know if we really wanted to, I'm sure we could perform here before you guys fly back..."
Reiner shifts at that. "Oh I dunno, I'm not sure if I'm there yet."
"Come on Braun," Floch grins and sips his beer. "Where's your sense of adventure?"
"I left it on a tour bus," Reiner mutters as a blonde woman comes up to the table.
"Heyyy Eren," she smiles as she leans on it to look at him. He flushes in embarrassment to see one of his regulars Elise here. "What are you doing here tonight?"
"Mmm nothing, just hanging with my friends," he says, his eyes avoiding Mikasa. Elise waits for Eren to introduce her and when he doesn't, she smiles.
"Sorry, me and Eren know each other very well, I was hoping he'd ask me to take a seat..."
"Nah, not tonight, Elise," Eren mutters, hiding his cheeks behind his pint. "I'll talk to you later, k?"
"Mmm sure, whatever."
It's not five minutes past that encounter when several more random girls walk past Eren's booth, seductively waving at him. Every time they do, he feels his cheeks flush harder and harder.
"Jesus Eren, how many women know you in this city?" Reiner asks in astonishment.
"Just a couple," Eren mumbles, his eyes and Mikasa's meeting again.
"Pfft, yeah right," Marco scoffs jokingly.
"Yeah more like double digits," Floch laughs. "Playboy Eren came back with a vengeance."
"Shut the fuck up Floch," Eren snaps. "It wasn't like that..."
His two roommates exchange looks, and Reiner clears his throat uncomfortably.
"I...I should head back, my head's starting to hurt."
"Ohh shit, me too," Jean says quickly. "I just got a weird stomach pain."
"Ohhh lemme walk you back," Mikasa says and Jean shakes his head.
"No, it's okay," Jean says as they both get up. "Just keep an eye on Eren I guess."
"Yeah I'm not much up for seeing a random girl at the house tonight," Reiner mutters as they both take off.
"Pffft what was that about?" Eren scoffs and drinks his beer. Marco and Floch shrug, both exchanging silent looks once more.
After a few more minutes, Eren looks up at Mikasa who's kept quiet this whole time. They exchange an awkward look and Eren's eyes wander over to the dance floor where a few people are dancing.
"Hey..." he says to her, his cheeks blushing all over again. "Uhh... do you wanna go dance?"
"What?" Mikasa says in astonishment. "Eren, you hate dancing..."
Eren chuckles as he stands up. "I could use one right now, come on..."
Mikasa blushes and gets up and they both hold hands, clammy nervous hands, as they head for the dance floor. Eren and Mikasa hold each other close as they begin to slow dance and both of them keep quiet, neither wanting to be the first to talk.
"I...I didn't think I'd ever see you slow dance..." Mikasa says shyly and Eren chuckles as he brings her into his chest.
"I had a good teacher..." he says quietly, and his mind wanders to a twirl of red hair before he can stop it. He quickly snaps back. "I mean, you and me have slow danced before..."
"Mmm that's right," Mikasa smiles coyly. "Back during our high-school dances..."
"Yeah," Eren laughs lightly. "Those were the days, huh? Just you and me together, nothing fucking up for either one of us..."
"Yeah," Mikasa laughs as well, "when the biggest concern we had was our entrance exams. I miss those days with you..."
Eren blushes and smiles. "You...you do?"
"I do," Mikasa smiles gently. "I miss them a lot..."
The couple keeps slow dancing, not caring about anyone else in the room but each other.
"Do... do you wanna get out of here?" Eren asks after some time and Mikasa nods happily. They bid Floch and Marco a good night and head out, hand-in-hand.
They walk aimlessly together and Eren feels his heart growing three sizes in his chest as he feels her hand in his. "I never got to thank you for coming out here..." he says after some time. "I'm really happy you did..."
"I am too," Mikasa says as she slowly wraps her arm around his bicep. "I really wanted to see you again."
The couple smiles at each other, strolling down the street together late at night as people pass them by. A woman walks out of an apartment next door to them, carrying a pocketbook and a bouquet of flowers. She's wearing a head scarf that covers her hair, her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. She's draped in a dark black trench coat, her heels clacking on the pavement as she passes the couple and goes to sit on a bench nearby. She silently pulls an hourglass necklace out of her coat and watches the last three grains of sand in it dance around the hole that leads to the bottom bulb, ready to join the rest of the pile.
"I've missed you so much," Eren continues, his chest swelling with emotion. "I've missed you every day since I left Mikasa... I wish I asked you to come with me."
"You should've," Mikasa blushes, "I would've come with you in a heartbeat Eren."
Eren stops in his tracks, his eyes widening in surprise. "You would? Even though you were with Jean?"
Mikasa sighs, her cheeks now burning in shame. "Don't get me wrong, I loved Jean, I still do. You know I do. But... you were always my first love Eren. I never would've left your side if you didn't push me away."
Eren nods quietly and sighs, "I'm... I'm so ashamed of pushing you away Mikasa. I don't know what the fuck came over me... I turned 18 and then all the sudden I got this feeling that I wanted to be on my own. I never should have dumped you..."
Mikasa flushes and absentmindedly draws her scarf close to her. Her eyes begin to sparkle with tears. "I'm sorry..." she says shyly. "I've...I've been waiting a long time for you to say that..."
Eren looks around, feeling his own eyes begin to water a bit. "Mikasa... can I... can I tell you something? I feel kind of ashamed to say it but... I wish I stayed with you...I wish we stayed together..."
Mikasa's eyes widen slightly. "Really Eren? But what about Rose?"
Eren sighs heavily, feeling his heart shift. "I...I don't know how to feel about her anymore Mikasa... if I never met her, she still would've... you know..." His eyes fall low as he speaks. "Nothing I could have done would've changed her fate... I was never meant to save her..."
"But... you still love her, don't you?" Mikasa says softly.
"I do..." Eren says, his eyes falling to the ground. "I do love her..."
"Do you..." Mikasa stops and takes a deep breath. "Do you regret being with her?"
Eren pauses and thinks it over, really thinks it over. "That... that I'm less sure about..."
The woman on the bench nearby shuffles in her seat as she watches her hourglass. She watches as one tiny grain of sand slips through the opening to drop on the pile, there's now only two grains left. Two lonely grains of sand dancing towards the fall. She wipes her eyes under her shades and gets up and walks to her convertible down the street. She tosses the bouquet in the passenger seat, already filled with other flowers, and gets in to quickly drive away.
"I see..." Mikasa says sadly. "I'm sorry you feel that way Eren but... if you weren't with her, she may have died a lot sooner..."
Eren nods. sadly "I know... but I can't stop how I feel. No one understands Mikasa, no one understands the pain of knowing your relationship with someone was just a way for them to live longer, to be free and happy a little longer. I'm...I am grateful for those memories where we were happy but, it doesn't change the fact that there's a part of me that wishes I never met her. Even just so I wouldn't feel like a part of me died right along with her..."
Mikasa sniffles and before Eren knows it, she kisses him desperately. She kisses him with so much love and desperation that she washes away any lingering sadness he feels. She's like a calming wave, washing him and purifying him. Eren moans softly and wraps his arms around her tight, feeling free for the first time in ages.
She pulls away from him after a few minutes. Eren looks in her eyes, her beautiful dark grey eyes and feels like he can't not look at them for another minute. "Mikasa... I—I wanna be with you!" he blurts out. "I don't wanna be with anyone else but you! I've love you; I've always loved you! Please, let's... let's start over again..."
Mikasa lets out a sharp gasp, "I...I want to! I want to be with you too Eren!" Her eyes widen and she puts her hands up to her mouth. "Oh my god... I can't believe I just said that. I only just broke up with Jean..."
"I know..." Eren says, his eyes desperate. "But... we love each other, why can't we start over together? Jean's pissed off but he'll get over it one day, I know he will..."
Mikasa nods slowly as her eyes raise to gaze upon his deep sparkling green eyes. "He will... he's been acting so weird over the last year anyways; he can't be surprised by this. He'll understand, and even if he doesn't, I don't care! I want to be with you Eren, I want to be your one and only!"
The couple blushes together as if they've reverted to lovesick teenagers. Eren leans in and kisses Mikasa again as a white bird flies above his head and calls out. The couple kiss yearningly for several minutes before Eren pulls back and grabs Mikasa's hand.
"Come on. Let's go back home," he grins and the two begin walking back home quickly. Their steps are light as if they're floating on air together and Mikasa lets out a shocked happy laugh as Eren begins sprinting in his eagerness.
"Eren! Slow down!" she laughs, and his chest swells so much, he feels he would actually float if he could defy gravity.
They run eagerly, till they get up to the front garden of Eren's house and Mikasa stops him. "Wha—what Mikasa?" he asks excitedly, his chest heaving from the run.
She smiles wide and holds his face in her hands. "Eren... give up this house. Come back with me... come back home with me to Shiganshina..."
Eren looks in her eyes, grey, loving, and hopeful. His own reflect hers and he grins wide. "If we wanted, we could leave tonight... just go without telling anyone..."
"We could find a new apartment," Mikasa laughs, thrilled at the idea. "We could move in together immediately..."
"We can pick right back up where we left off; we could tell people we've been together since high school..."
"Yeah," Mikasa smiles happily. "We'll just tell them—" she stops and her face falls a little. "I...I don't know Eren, we can't just pretend she never existed...I feel like it wouldn't be what she wanted..."
"I know," Eren sighs heavily. "But... I can't be reminded of her anymore Mikasa. That was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I don't want to think about it, I don't want to be reminded of it. She understands, I know wherever she is, she understands. Let's not talk about her anymore, let's just forget about her and move on..."
He pulls Mikasa closer and holds her face in his hands. "I need to forget Mikasa, I can't keep going on with these nightmares of her. I... I need to move on, I need to live for myself with whatever time I have left ..."
"Eren, don't be so morbid. I hate it when you're morbid," Mikasa says sadly and Eren can't help but laugh lightly. "What's so funny..."
"Nothing..." Eren chuckles, "it's just that she said the same thing... she really did remind me of you. She was so much like you..."
"I told her that once," Mikasa laughs. "I said I could tell you liked her cause she was just like me..."
"Yeah, she was in a lot of ways," Eren smiles and caresses Mikasa's cheek. "Let's run away together Mikasa. Let's run away and leave this, all of this behind..." He tilts her chin up and looks deep within her eyes. "I love you..."
"I love you too Eren..."
The couple goes back into the brownstone house, holding each other's hand so tight as Eren leads Mikasa up the stairs and over to his bedroom. He barely gets the door closed before he kisses her passionately.
"Oh Mikasa," he sighs softly, his cheeks burning anew.
"Oh Eren," she sighs back, her own always burning for him.
The two go over to Eren's bed, sinking into it together as they hold each other close. Eren kisses her and feels a sense of real freedom and joy that he hasn't felt in so long when he finally slides inside her. She lets out a soft moan as they look at each other, shocked to be here again. Shocked to be moving as one again after so many years apart.
They moan and whimper and writhe together. Mikasa throws her arms around him as he grips her black hair and kisses her beautiful swan-like neck. She gasps as her back arches for him, and he lets out a series of groans as his own arches for her. They keep their sounds down, desperate not to disturb the others as they spend a passionate night together.
Eren lets out a soft gasp and groans in deep pleasure when he finally feels his cum seep inside her. Mikasa lets out a breathless gasp to feel it inside her after so long and he collapses in her arms, breathing hard.
"That was...so good," he pants heavily and kisses her neck as she holds him.
"It was...ohhh Eren..." she moans and kisses his hair.
They lay wide awake, barely speaking above whispers and kisses. Eren grins mischievously as he sees the sun begin to come up. "Come on babe, let's get out of here."
With that, the couple giggles conspiratorially as they quickly jump to their feet to get dressed. Eren grabs his wallet, some clothes, and throws them in his bag as Mikasa quickly grabs hers. He grabs his guitar and scribbles a note to leave by the front door as Mikasa bounces lightly down the stairs.
They both hold hands as they leave the brownstone house for good. Eren excitedly walks Mikasa to his car, opening her door and helping her in before running over to his own. He jumps in and turns the car on, a big grin on his face. He doesn't even give the brownstone in Lucerne one last look before quickly driving away to make the long journey back to Paradis with the woman he loves by his side.