Chapter Text
When Eren was twelve he was told to do an essay on his favourite person. Most of his classmates were going to do their first ever essay about their mothers or father or grandparents. The task was simple, they had to fill two pages with an introduction about this person, then three to four reasons said person was their favorite and a conclusion.
So Eren decided to write his essay about his favorite person.
Mikasa Ackerman.
To their close friends, it made sense that he had chosen her as his favorite person, even when all of them wrote about their parents or a superhero. Mikasa and Eren had always been a package deal, since they were kids. So, Eren wrote four (plus one) reasons why Mikasa was his favorite person:
- Because her eyes are beautiful. She had grey eyes that twinkled if she smiled and closed when she laughed and she said she doesn’t like them but he really liked them.
- Because she always listens to him when he talks. They talked a lot, spent most of their day together and yet Mikasa just didn’t get tired of listening to him. He wrote about the day he told her about his dreams and nightmares and how she had just understood. He loved that.
- Because she is the best wrestler. She always won, she will always win. He had envied the amount of strength she had and had wrestled with her as many times as he had sat through tea parties with her.
- Because she loves to sing when she’s happy. She had the prettiest voice and Eren had spent most of his evenings fighting math homework while listening to her hum to a song she listened to on the radio or singing while she prepared some snacks. If she was extremely content, then she danced around like no one was there. She was brilliant at that.
- Because she is the bestest friend he could ever have. Mikasa always went along with his crazy ideas and had no fear when facing their constant adventures. She was the bestest friend he could ever had and no matter what, there was no one else like her.
Even now, years later, while sitting on opposite sides of the couch, playing footsie while each worked, Mikasa made his days better and Mikasa was still his favorite person.
She ate too many sweets on Sundays and she liked to dress classy, with turtlenecks and oversized sweaters that seemed eternal because she had too many. She had a scar on her cheekbone from when they climbed the tree they weren't supposed to climb and fell, like their moms predicted. Mikasa was Mikasa and she was part of his everything at this point. Her eyes were still beautiful and Eren would eagerly look at them when they talked and she still listened.
And, most importantly, she still went along with his crazy ideas.
"Miks?" Eren peaked over his laptop and saw her do the same, pausing the song she was listening to. She raised her eyebrows, telling him that he had her full attention. "Who was your first crush?"
Mikasa's reaction was not something he expected. She blushed ridiculously hard and coughed a few times before saying in a, most likely faked, calming manner, "Why does it matter?"
"For science." He dismissed her question quickly.
"Uh, he- he was from our school…" She looked away from him and closed her laptop, covering her face with her hand as if it were the most embarrassing thing. Which, in Eren's mind, didn't make sense at all, because that happened ages ago. "We were, twelve, I think."
"Oh shit, really? Who was it?"
Mikasa laughed, the way she did when she was slightly stressed. Hysterical. "No way, not telling." She let her hands fall on her laptop and looked at Eren directly in the eyes, “I mean, you probably didn’t know him.” That was a blunt lie . Mikasa was a bad liar, absolutely bad, and she had a thing to look at him in the eyes with a strong self-confidence when she was lying that gave away her intention.
“Oh so I did know him.” He slyly remarks, adjusting himself on his corner of the sofa, eagerly seeing his best friend blush. “Wait. No. Oh my god, Miks- Mimi- Jean?” It all made sense in his head, Jean and Mikasa had dated back in senior year and even though he didn’t exactly like the idea, Eren had to roll with it for eight months straight. Sharing his best friend was something that really hit him hard. “You’ve liked Jean your entire life?”
“Eren.”
“Miks!”
“No, that’s not true-
“Then that’s very true!” Mikasa rolled her eyes as an overly eager smile peaked on Eren’s face. “Oh my god, you had a crush on Jean-boy?”
“I’m telling you I didn’t!” Eren laughed, hard, and Mikasa pushed him lightly with her feet. “I had a crush on a classmate.”
“Tell me.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Please, Miks, please!”
She hid her face in the neck of her oversized sweater. She mumbled something before sighing deeply as if she didn’t have any other way. “Thomas, it was Thomas.”
“The english kid who left?” Mikasa looked doubtful but nodded anyway. “Okay, and what did you like about him?”
“Uh- he was very passionate and would do anything to get what he wanted, he was very kind and loved to play with all of his friends. He was also good at sports.” She shrugged as if it didn’t matter but it clearly did if she still blushed while talking about it as if it meant something.
“Did he like you back?” Eren was genuinely interested now. He was when he asked but now that Mikasa was talking, he was more interested than he expected himself to be. Mikasa was not very open about her feelings, she was quite in general and didn’t share much with Eren unless it really bothered her or she felt safe enough to tell him; he really didn’t expect her to just tell him this stuff because he begged a little.
“I think he never really noticed that I liked him, so nothing really happened. Why are you asking this stuff?” Eren didn’t really know himself, he was looking for some help for Falco’s case but he was really… not good in the field. As far as he had gone, he had dated one (1) girl for a month. He wasn’t really into it, mostly because the girl had insisted on giving it a try and he was curious. Mikasa on the other hand was a hopeless romantic who had watched too many rom-coms for her own good.
If it counted, then he dated Mikasa for a few weeks in kindergarten.
“So remember my team has an intern?” Mikasa nodded. “He brings his brother from time to time to the office and the kid is fun to have around. So the other day the kid confessed he’s in love but doesn’t know what to do. I offered to help him and at the moment it seemed like a great idea, right? But I had completely forgotten that I haven’t- I don’t know- I don’t have experience with crushes.”
“How was it even a great idea inside your head?” Eren glared at her, Mikasa was his best friend, she should have had more faith in him. “Eren, really.”
“Look, he’s twelve, crushes are about first dates and first kisses and holding hands and having a curfew.” He shrugged and poked her leg with his feet. “I need your help.”
“So you get me involved in your problem.” Eren wanted to pout and beg for Mikasa to help him but she didn’t seem like she was going to. Mikasa had this thing with letting him do whatever impulsive idea he had and then basically help him out of it. Of course, she wasn’t obliged to help him out of his crazy ideas but she just watched him set on fire and turn it off the moment she deemed that the lesson was learned.
“Okay, let’s make a deal.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes.” He sat closer to her, crossing his legs and leaned even closer. “Remember that museum you wanted to go to that was about the space and all those sorts of shits you like?” She frowned. “Sorry, not shits. If you tell me what I should do, I’ll take you to the night event.” Mikasa’s eyes sparkled and she seemed to debate it. “I would take the offer, Miks.”
She stayed silent for what seemed a long time before she explained. “Tell him to take her somewhere nice and spend more time with her. If she has a play or a recital or a game, whatever she likes to do, she will like it if he’s there.” She shrugged. “If she likes music, he could learn how to play an instrument and so on.”
It was really simple and he had done it himself before. There’s no way he could fail in explaining that to the kid. “When are you free?”
“Next friday.”
“Next friday it is, then.” He gave her a kiss on her forehead before standing up. “Thanks.” She scrunched up her nose and pushed him away.
For sure, Mikasa was still his favorite person.
***
The sound of sipping soda from a straw filled the little office that Eren shared with Reiner in the Criminal Area. They have spent many nights struggling to finish a case file on time for court in that little place. Sasha had gifted them two tiny succulents that, for reasons Eren didn’t understand, were still alive.
“Okay,” Eren said, biting on the end of the straw that was in his lips, “What does she like?”
“Sports.” Falco piped in from his notebook. It was weird, since Colt was out most of the time doing the paperwork Eren or Reiner sent him to do, Falco spent more time in the office than Colt. The kid was fun to have around, what can Eren say against that?
“Okay... What sort?”
“Literally everything.”
“There’s no way she’s perfect with absolutely everything.”
“Yes way.”
“No way.”
Reiner visibly rolled his eyes at the exchange and Eren smirked. “Are you any good at any sport?” He turned around and looked at the kid who was sitting on the couch they had in their tiny office. Eren had brought it the moment they were hired as associates in the firm, right after their bar exam. “Nope.” Falco shook his head and Eren saw him blushing, there was nothing to be embarrassed for though. Eren himself was really lanky and bad at sports until he kept persisting - or insisting according to Mikasa - and even got into the track team.
“Well, you need to learn what she likes, share something in come other than movies.” Eren remarked as if he was talking to one of Levi’s clients.
“Wow, Eren speaks like he knows a lot.” Reiner said chuckling, almost trying to resist the urge to laugh too loud. Falco on the other hand, looked puzzled.
“Doesn’t he?” Eren’s blood ran cold as he felt the weight of Falco’s big eyes on him. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Reiner laughed and shook his head and Eren shook his head. “I thought the girl who picked you up was your girlfriend?”
“Mikasa?”
Falco shrugged.
Reiner was laughing like a madman on his chair.
Eren never really cared to explain his friendship with Mikasa to anyone because mostly everyone who knew him, knew that Mikasa was his package deal and that they were tied to the hip and that she was his best friend since forever. So he blinked, not even thinking about the idea of how Mikasa picking him up daily would look. “That’s my childhood best friend, kid, best friends don’t fall in love.”
Reiner snorted and Falco looked even more puzzled. “What do you mean?” He looked a bit pale as if he were panicking. “I’m irrevocably in love with my best friend.” He added in a fearful whisper, avoiding Reiner’s eyes.
“You like Gaby?” Reiner’s face contorted in surprise, something Eren hadn’t seen ever. Reiner wasn’t collected, he was far from it. An absolute mess, Annie would comment if this were a reality show commentary. “And you asked me for help?” But Reiner was kind of difficult to surprise. Once, Bertholdt and Annie planned a surprise party and he barely smiled and said thank you before he got plastered.
“Actually, I asked Doctor Eren since I thought his best friend was his girlfriend .” Eren rolled his eyes and pointed with the straw to the kid.
“Kiddo, stop calling me Doctor.”
“That’s how Colt calls you,” Eren slapped his forehead. He was, actually, not a doctor. He was very far and too young to be called doctor, but even before graduating his professors called him and everyone doctor .
“Well, call me Eren, I’m Eren to you.” He took a deep breath and looked at Puzzled Reiner™ before throwing him a stress ball Mikasa gifted him when he was preparing for the bar exam. “What? Who’s Gaby?”
“My cousin.” Reiner mumbled.
It took him a while but Eren remembered soon enough who Gaby Braun was. The annoying brat who “ accidentally ” threw some wine on him at Reiner’s last birthday. She was under his custody, and was basically Reiner’s little sister.
So what Falco was doing was basically asking to be murdered. It was as if Eren went to knock on his boss’ door and ask Levi Ackerman how to flirt with Mikasa. Eren was too scared to ask Levi if he was also going to the airport to pick his sister up last month.
Falco smiled at Reiner while Eren watched them cautiously.
“Just don’t do anything stupid, Falco, I will not hesitate to punch you.” The kid nodded and gulped the rest of his soda.
“So, of course, I’ll make sure of that. That’s why! I got you tickets for this.” He pulled out two tickets for the museum event Mikasa wanted to go. If he was there, he could make sure that Falco could do the right things. It was brilliant on his head. “They are for next friday, and you can tell Colt I’m taking you.” Which was weird but Eren didn’t want to dwell too much on it.
“She has mentioned that she couldn’t go to this.” Falco hissed.
“Yeah because it's after her curfew.” Reiner turned around with a smirk. The event was at 7pm.
“That’s one shitty curfew.” Eren blurted out before tensing at Reiner’s reaction. “Well, you can make an exception, right?” He mumbled, trying to sneak into Reiner’s good side before anything. “Right?”
“What makes you think I’ll leave Gabi with you both?”
Eren shrugged.
He knew many people believe lawyers have a knack for being able to defend themselves. The thing is, not many people know that a good one knows when the case is lost. Eren was a good one, he believes in himself even when he doubts himself. This was a lost case and the only thing left was to appeal to Reiner’s soft, soft , heart.
“Because apparently she also wanted to go and Mikasa is going too, so whatever goes wrong she can help me get it right.” He smiled proudly about his argument. He was not Levi’s team best associate for nothing. “Plus your cousin said she wanted to go!”
Reiner rolled his eyes and turned back to work. “I’ll think about it. Falco, pass me that file you’re sitting on.” The kid happily trotted to their desk with a file in hand.
Eren winked, he was going to convince Reiner.
***
Coming home after a long day was something Eren loved.
Living with the girls hadn’t been bad at all, the three of them had accommodated Eren's surprising need to clean constantly and Sasha’s constant baking and Mikasa’s jumpers on the entrance. But this, he was not ready for this.
“Hey guys,” he silently walked to the big couch Eren brought with him when he moved in. The girls were eating ice cream from a chocolate ice cream tub they always kept around and seemed to be listening carefully to the movie playing in front of them. The coffee table had two empty bottles of wine and one of vodka that Eren remembers was half full a few days ago.
“Eren!” Sasha slurred and stood up, hugging him with so much force he felt out of air. “Mikasa said we can’t go to Nicolo’s party!” She whined and looked at him directly in the eyes. “Please tell her we need to go.” From afar he could see his best friend shaking his head with a glare.
“Don’t think we can, Sasha.”
“I told you!” Mikasa said, laying down on the couch, grabbing another spoonful of ice cream.
"Eren please!"
"I'm not going, Sasha." He put his hands up as if excusing himself before sitting on the couch next to Mikasa. "Besides, you’re drunk. To start with, why do you want us there?"
"Because maybe Nicolo would want to talk to his friends and all and I'll be alone."
"Painfully honest aren't you?"
Mikasa looked at Eren, as if she was letting him know what she was going to do. It was really hard to read her when she was drunk. "I don't think that will happen if you're going to be tongue deep into Nicolo's mouth." She deadpanned. Eren snorted.
"Oh, as busy as you were at your last birthday party?” She paused and groaned, complaining to the white ceiling of their place. “It's so sad that I can only tease you about that!" Mikasa frowned. "Oh shit."
"Stop that! I don't remember anything from that night, you know that!" She glared accusingly, then looked back at Eren. "So Sasha just confessed that she somehow knows what I did that night. Wine makes her talk. Took her years.”
Eren winced, he had kept some parts of that night because Mikasa herself didn't want to know the morning after. Sasha looked alarmed and left the room, to get ready, most likely.
"Eren."
"I was pretty drunk myself too, I don't remember some parts of that night." He looked down, his younger self smiling back at him on the firm's ID card that was clipped on his pants' front pocket. He only remembers that he had lived that night with beer pong and tequila shots. "Plus, you said that we should forget what happened before I started telling you what you did." Mikasa groaned before covering her face with her hands and mumbling something. "what?"
"I said I probably gave the worst kiss. I don’t want to remember."
That night everyone was ready to get wasted. Sasha had baked a red velvet cake for Mikasa and they sang Happy Birthday before the party started. Eren drank a few beers before playing beer pong with Mikasa, then they did shots and had more drinks and Nicolo then prepared some fancy drinks that were full of sugar and that made Eren feel drunk for the first time. Mikasa? She was plastered.
"Well, what a birthday gift."
"Eren!" she whined.
"If you don't remember, it doesn't count?"
"you're not helping."
Eren laughed, lightly, before grabbing her hands and uncovering her eyes. “I thought I was your worst kiss.” He remembers it well, even if they were nine when it happened. They had been laying down on the floor of the living room inside a pillow fort, whispering about their dreams and places they would like to go. Mikasa held his hand and confessed that she wanted to have a family, she wanted it all, kids and a cat and a house as big as hers with a garden. Eren and his active imagination had promised he could help with that and as a way to seal the deal he gave her a chaste kiss on the lips "because my mom always makes my dad kiss her when they promise something!" he had explained before giving it. Mikasa blushed, turned around and said "I hope there's better kisses some day".
"Eren." She rolled her eyes and unlaced their fingers. Standing up and swaying, she sighed, "Well whatever. It was a kiss." Sasha laughed from her room and a faint "yeah sure" was heard before Mikasa went to the kitchen and came back with a plate of gooey chocolate chip cookies that were from the box Sasha had prepared.
Drunk Mikasa could talk, for sure, but she was also hungry.
She gave the plate to Eren and grabbed a bottle of wine from the small bar Annie had left in the apartment. Served him a glass and sat back down. "Cheers, for my lack of memories.” She laughed.
She was also very, very giggly.
"Slow down."
She was also caring.
"It's just wine."
“Don’t you want to drink something stronger?” Sasha said from the hallway, fighting the zipper that was on the back of her dress. “If you go with me we can do shots!” Mikasa stood up and zipped Sasha’s dress before sitting back on the couch. Snuggling against it before resting her legs over Eren’s lap with a blush.
If it had been any other person, Eren would have pushed the legs off. He values his space a lot but Mikasa and occasionally Armin had a free pass to be touchy, because they’ve always been like that. “I’m staying.”
“Same.” Eren said behind his glass, also relaxing back on the couch.
Sasha groaned and turned around to her room, “guess I’ll sleep. I hate you, both of you!” Mikasa laughed, before dipping a cookie on the ice cream tub.
How was your day? Her eyes said.
“It was good, tiring.” Eren smiled before noticing how sleepy Mikasa was. “You need help going to bed?”
“No?” She stood up and swayed giggling. “Maybe? yes.”
Helping Mikasa to her room wasn’t a difficult task, Sasha was harder to help while drunk. Mikasa was sleepy and accepted she needed help. She would giggle and laugh about everything she did. The difficult part of helping drunk Mikasa was that she was a cuddler. She suddenly hugged you, patted your hair and combed your eyebrows.
"Oh, hello!" She stage-whispered when Eren sat her down on her bed. "Eren! Let's have a sleepover." She smiled that sunny smile that Eren loved to see on her face because it was so rare. He wished she smiled more often.
"Nope." he popped out. Mikasa extended her arms and held Eren's hands and dragged him to her with a magnetic force.
"Please, please, let's have a sleepover!" Eren chuckled and that made her giggle.
"Why?"
"Because I like you and you're my best friend and I want to spend time with you."
"Miks, you're drunk."
She didn't answer.
"I love you, lots."
"I know and I love you too."
"No, you don't!" She giggled again and stood up, untangling their hands to hug Eren, intoxicating him with her sweet vanilla scent. "Come, let's have a sleepover!"
"Yeah, okay."
He could just leave when she fell asleep, he has done that before. It's not a big deal. Drunk Mikasa was even more stubborn than just Mikasa. So he laid down with her and listened to her talk about the flowers she was growing at work and how Louise was seeing her as a mentor and how she had a salad for lunch and it wasn't as good as Eren's. "Why are you so perfect?"
"Am not."
"Okies."
"Go to sleep Miks."
She shook her head, getting closer to his face and observing, tracing his light freckles, combing his brows and kissing his nose. It surprised him how calm he felt with all of this. "When I wake up, you're going to be gone."
"No?"
"Yes." She sighed. "But that's better, maybe." She stared at his lips, actually focused on them and her eyes were bright even in the dark room and Eren still couldn't understand how he could be so calm about this. "Who knows."
Eren was absolutely confused.
But he was also sleepy due to Mikasa combing his hair softly while she looked at him, observed inside him and discovered things not even himself could understand. She gave him a peck on the corner of his lips before finally cuddling up to him and falling asleep. Maybe she was too drunk and he was too tired, that had to be it.
That had to be it.