Archive of Our Own

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Vanya

"But babe, I thought it was just a rough patch!"

"We broke up two days ago, Carmen. Get the memo and move on." She let out a sickeningly sweet smile before waving him goodbye. As if she'd ever keep dating a boy who was treading the path of becoming a certified cokehead. She had been too blinded by his blue eyes and rakishly handsome features to catch on his flaws earlier.

This was her fourth boyfriend in a year. Maybe she needed to take a break from the dating scene for a while.

She spotted her best friend Mona waiting at the threshold of the locker room–watching her.

Great.

Mona was way too kind which made her see the world with rose tinted lenses.

"He seemed sincere. Maybe, you should have given him a chance." She reasoned when Vanya reached her. Trying hard not to roll her eyes, she decided to make her point loud and clear.

"I know how these things work. He'd try for a day or two then relapse. We'd break up again, he'd come crawling back. Again. I am too young for this drama. I have other priorities to figure out. Like my college applications for starters."

"Hmm. Alright." She was giving her the side eye and Vanya dreaded the words about to leave her lips. "Or maybe it's because your parents set your standard way too high and you don't want to settle for someone less."

She tried not to show any emotion on her face, as they stepped out of the school premises.

"My parents were an exceptional case. Besides, I am too young for that crap." Ok, it was a lie. Maybe there was a teeny tiny part of her that wanted to find her soulmate in school too like they both had, but she wasn't that lucky. Instead all she was left with was disappointment and aversion to the concept of love. Not that she'd ever admit it out loud.

"Please, Van. You can fool others but not me."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

On the cue, she spotted her brother walking out of the building with his headphones on, and mentally prepared herself for the endless rambling that was about to happen.

"Oh my god. Oh my god! Vin is coming here! Why is he coming here? I thought you said he was taking AP tuition after school. It's 3 PM I am a fucking mess. I didn't even have time to fix my hair. You could have given me a heads up! "

Sometimes she wondered how she ended up becoming friends with such a dramatic person. Mona always became a blubbering fool at the sight of her dork brother. God, why did she have to like her brother?

"You look fine, calm down."

"He wouldn't find my tits too weird in this shirt, right? Of all the days, why today when I am wearing my old uniform!"

"Eww, I do not want to hear your tits and my brother in the same sentence. Ever!" She shot a glare but Mona was too busy staring more like gawking at her brother to notice.

Ugh.

He finally looked up at the two of them–gave a slight nod to her friend before quickly diverting his grey eyes to her.

"You seen Dad yet?"

"Nope."

"If only you hadn't crashed my car."
It was a mumble but Vanya heard it loud and clear as she turned to her brother with narrowed eyes.

"It was a mistake."

"Tell that to my car's headlights."

"Don't be so dramatic. It will be fine."

"There is a reason you didn't pass your driving test!"

"It's because the examiner was a pussy. So what if I drove a little above the speed limit?"

"More like 40."

"Says the one who drives 20 below on an empty street!"

"Van, you are being too loud."

"So is Vin!"

Mona pretended she didn't hear her, and Vanya mentally noted to find a new best friend. Preferably into girls, so she didn't have to bear the constant ogling of her brother. She found the two of them holding an eye contact for a moment too long before her brother looked away.

Yup. Definitely putting in the application for a new bestie.

"Ah finally."

Vin's comment made her snap her head and she found their Dad stepping out of his mercedes with a pair of shades perched over his nose. She could feel more than a dozen eyes on him as he closed the door and had to hold in a groan.

This was why she never wanted him to pick them up.

Let's just say that her dad garnered a lot of attention wherever he went. To put it without feeling icky…he was way too decent looking for someone who was nearing his fifties.

"How does your Dad get hotter every time I see him?"

"Mon! It's bad enough that you have a crush on my brother, for goodness sake spare my dad!" The only thing worse than hearing such comments about her brother was hearing them about her Dad. Thankfully, Vin had already started trotting towards their father, unable to hear her.

"Duh, that's his son." As if that made it perfectly normal. "I can't wait for Vin to glow up like that."

"You are disgusting."

"More like honest."

She scrunched her nose and bid her a hurried goodbye before she could make more inappropriate comments about the men of her family.

"Hey guys, sorry the traffic was a bit thick today." He gave them both a half hug–motioning them to get in as Vanya took in the interiors. Goddamn, all she wanted in her life was to drive this car. But she knew that no matter how much her Dad loved her, he wouldn't let her touch it unless she passed her driving test.

Fuck her life.

"Did you get any update from the garage, Dad?"

Vin inquired once her Dad rolled the steering wheel and zoomed off the road. And they wondered where she got her reckless driving skills from?

"Yeah, it'd take one more day. There was a dent in the corner as well. It was easy to miss."

Great. Just what she needed.

She could feel her twin's eyes on her and pretended not to notice.

"You do know I am taking the repair cost out of your savings, right?"

"Yes, Vin. Seeing as you have been yelling it in my ears every five minutes since the accident. If only you used a percentage of those vocal chords to talk to Mona."

The change was immediate and she could see his cheeks ting red.

"Wha… I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh please. I am so tired of the cool dude act you put in front of her. God, just ask her out!"

"I-its not like that! Besides, she doesn't like me." He shrugged turning towards the window and for the first time Vanya wondered if she should still feign ignorance and not let the two of them know about their mutual crush.

Yes, a part of her was too selfish and didn't want to become a third wheel in between the two people of her age she actually tolerated– so she kept quiet.

She missed her mom. If only she was still here, she could have ranted about her shitty ex and breakup and Vin's complicated love life.

"Come on, you wouldn't know until you try, would you? Ask her out."

Of course, their Dad had been eavesdropping.

"Not everyone is as smooth as you." Vin retorted with a slight blush, and she heard her Dad chuckle from the driver's seat.

"Believe me, if I was that smooth, it wouldn't have taken me fifteen years to realize my feelings for your mom." A melancholic smile grazed his lips at that and Vanya knew that he missed her too. She had been a first hand witness to the love they shared and vowed to never marry unless she found a love like them.

But she also knew that this kind of love could hurt just as bad. She had seen what her Dad became without her mother. She was scared to ever feel that deeply for someone that every moment without them could be so tormenting. She would have laughed at the notion of this kind of feeling, if she hadn't seen her parents together.

Their dad slowed down the car and Vanya immediately took her headphones out–not wanting to be a victim of the endless rant yet again. The passenger door opened with a slam, and in stepped her little sister Vera letting out a long drawn sigh as if the weight of the world was on her shoulder.

"Hey, pumpkin." Their dad greeted her with a forehead kiss and Vanya wondered when would she grow out of those ridiculous nicknames? Vanya had put a stop to it by the time she was 10 years old and their mom had found their Dad's sulking amusing.

What am I supposed to call her if not princess?

Thankfully, he still had his younger daughter to dote upon. Wait until that one gets older.

"Ugh Daddy, you won't believe what happened in Miss Amy's class today."

And there it was. Shutting her eyes, she blasted the music at the top volume.

Vin

His head was starting to pound, staring at the calculus problem in front of his eyes. After a minute or two, he couldn't take it, and slammed the textbook shut before stepping out of his room. It was little after six and he could hear his twin practicing the cheer routine in the backyard. Did she have to play the routine music so bloody loud? Wait if she was practising…

He pretended to act casual and peeked through the kitchen window–hit with disappointment when he realised she was alone.

A guy can dream, right?

"Looking for Mona?"

An embarrassing yelp left his lips as he heard his younger sister who was giving him a knowing look. Oh for goodness sake, why was everyone all up in his business?

"No." He shrugged casually, trying to play cool as he rummaged through the kitchen cabinet.

"You don't have to lie to me. I know you like her."

With annoyance, he turned to her. "How would you know? You are too young for that."

She crossed her arms in that manner which reminded him of their mother, before addressing him. "You stare at her wayyy too long when she comes over. It's kind of obvious."

And here he thought he was subtle.

Ignoring her, he pulled a soda can from the refrigerator before once again resting his eyes on her. She was sketching something and it piqued his curiosity. Pulling the adjacent chair, he sat by her side and watched as she effortlessly drew trails of palm trees near a lake. Huh. He recognized the place.

"Isn't that the spot we went camping last week?"

"Yup."

One thing that always left him awestruck was his little sister's drawing skills. He remembered being intrigued by art when he was young too but he wasn't a natural at it. Vanya could barely draw stick figures. Vera was the one who inherited all of their mother's talent. She might resemble their father the most out of three in appearance but her soul was as artistic as their mother.

Their dad came up with a bunch of fun activities for the four of them since their mother had been gone. She was in many ways the pillar of the Jaeger family, and his father didn't want them to grow apart without her. This was why he forced them to have dinner together, spend at least half an hour listening to each other's day every evening. Vin knew he was trying hard, but he simply wasn't his mom.

Fuck, he missed her. Ever since he could remember having any coherent thought, he knew he loved her the most. He never tried to hide that he was a mama's boy through and through. As he grew older, he might have drifted apart a little, but now he wished she was here so he could hug her tightly.

"What are you two doing?"

His dad's voice resonated from the entrance and Vin realised that he was home early.

"Do you remember this place, daddy?" Vera asked in her enthusiastic tone and he hummed as if in deep thought after settling down next to her.

"Is it the place near your grandma's house?"

"No! God, even Vin guessed it on the first try and he hates camping."

"Hey! That's not true." He protested weakly but two pairs of emerald eyes gave him a knowing look in response.

"Please. We all know you are scared of the dark. You don't have to pretend to be macho."

"I am not!" He protested hotly causing Vera to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh that's right. You are not. I don't know why I said that."

This little shi–

"Don't tease your brother, V." Their father warned but there was no strong warning behind his words because he wasn't capable of ever scolding his precious daughters.

"I was just telling the truth. You guys are no fun." With a slight pout she got up, and headed to the back door–probably to bother Van.

Now that he and his Dad were left alone, Vin felt an underlying awkwardness. He loved his Dad. He really did but he had never been particularly close to him like Van and Vera were.

"So...how's the AP classes going?" He asked after a moment of silence and Vin forced a smile. He had just been trying to escape that and he had to bring it up.

In his dad's defense, he didn't know that Vin was facing difficulty in his math's class.

"Umm pretty good."

He wondered if it would be too rude if he were to get up and leave.

"Hmm. Are you sure you are not facing any problem?"

Did he know how to read his mind? Vin frowned, avoiding eye contact and nodded nonchalantly.

"Look Vin, I…well I got a call from your instructor and she told me you were behind in calculus."

What the fuck.

"She called you?" He seemed horrified and a little betrayed by that piece of information, as his Dad pursed his lips.

"She is technically obliged to call the guardians and she was worried it would take a toll on you."

"I need more practice but I'll catch up." He didn't believe his own words but he needed to let this topic rest. He could feel his Dad's eyes on him and didn't like the inquisitive look in them.

"Look buddy, I trust whatever decision you make but you should know that you don't need to push yourself for our sake." He paused to take a breath. "Whether you went to the Ivy league or some community college, that doesn't matter as long as you are happy, alright?"

"Easy for you to say. You went to John Hopkins." His tone was bitter as he hated his incompetence. Both of his parents studied and worked at renewed places so it's not like he could ever understand. He heard a lowly chuckle and found his Dad shaking his head.

"Yeah, I did and I was fucking miserable."

What? That was news to him. Confusion framed his face as his Dad licked his lips. "Your mom and I never told you guys this but we separated for three years when I went to JH."

"What?" There was no mirth in his face and Vin realized that he was serious.

Holy shit. Here he thought, they had been inseparable since their hookup (gross).

All he knew was that they were in a long distance relationship, when his mother went to Paris. 

"Yeah a lot of things happened back then and well… I was miserable those three years alone in the city. If I could, I would have traded that for following Mikasa to Paris and being her kept boyfriend."

Vin smiled slightly at that. "Mom would have hated you for it."

"Yup. She was the one who encouraged me to follow my dreams. The reason why…" Shaking his head, he stopped and Vin wondered what he wanted to say.

"Anyways the point is just because you attend an Ivy college, it wouldn't guarantee your happiness. Don't put that pressure on yourself, bud."

He soaked in his words, wondering if perhaps he should give this a second thought. He still had his final term left. He could ask Miss Amy what could be done. He aced every other subject so it's not like he was trying to softball his way out of it.

"You are just 17. Do you know what I did at that age?"

"Screwed the cheerleaders while keeping mum in the friend zone?"

A third voice interrupted and Vin didn't even have to turn to recognize the annoyingly familiar voice of his twin. Seemed like she was done with her routine.

His father was left flabbergasted and Vin resisted the urge to laugh at his comical expression. Ever since their uncle Armin told them about their dad's...playboy tendencies, Van never left a moment to drag that over his head.

"You are not letting that go, are you?"

"Nope." She answered before gobbling down the fresh water from the bottle. She wiped her mouth once she was done, and settled down the chair before looking over at them. "If only your son inherited some of your player tendencies, he wouldn't be so hopeless."

Oh for crying out loud!

"How could I? There was nothing left for me, seeing as you took all of it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You want me to spell it out in front of Dad?" He gave her a fake smile and he could see the fumes leaving her ear.

"What does that mean, Vin?" He only looked at his sister. "Van, what's your brother talking about?"

He could practically hear the gears in his Dad's head turning and a satisfied expression crossed his face on watching her furious.

"He is just joking around, Dad."

"You… are not dating anyone, are you?"

"Nope."

"You know that I have no issue with you dating, it's just…" Leave it up to his Dad to not verbalize the S word in front of his daughter. Poor guy would have a stroke if he knew of the number of rendezvous his daughter got into. Yikes.

"Don't worry, I know how to be safe." She bounced on her step, before leaving and he watched his father sitting clueless. He wasn't the smartest crayon in the box when it came to Vanya.

"Safe? What did you mean by that word? Van? Come back here, young lady!"

Oh, his oblivious father.

He was in major denial when it came to her.

Eren

"Have a pleasant weekend, Dr. Jaeger."

"You too, Mitchell!"

He returned his bright understudy's smile with as much vigor he could muster. Weekend huh. Normally, he would be coming up with a list of places he and the kids could go but both Van and Vin had plans for this Sunday.

Fuck, it seemed only yesterday he would go out and get into all kind of trouble in senior year. Now his kids were the same age. How did time flew by so fast?

He was thankful that Mikasa was there to ground him every now and then, or he wouldn't have made it this far. He'd probably still be struggling to make ends meet–forget about having three kids to take care of.

His eyes then went on the painting he had framed on his office wall. It was from their wedding day and he remembered his wife gifting it to him as a reminder that now they were bonded for life.

God, he missed her every second of the waking hour and she even plagued his dreams constantly. He wished he could remain sleeping forever if it meant he got to hear her laugh and see her beautiful face.

Shaking his head, he got off the clinic– bidding his watchmen a pleasant evening. He had merely made it a few paces into the parking lot when he spotted a wisp of familiar blonde in front.

"Armin?"

His best friend grinned and approached him–wrapping him in a tight hug and Eren was quick to return the gesture. It lasted for all of a second but he felt marginally better.

"You off the clock now?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Wanna go to our usual spot?"

Dozens of protests came on his lips all regarding his kids but his friend seemed to have read his mind.

"I talked to Vin and told him you'd be a little late. Don't worry your twins are excellent cooks, plus teens love to have extra time away from parents. You of all people should know."

What could he say? Guilty as charged.

Sighing, he finally nodded–mentally telling himself that taking a night off to rewind with his friend wasn't bad parenting. He was only human. Plus, he and Mikasa had decided earlier on in their marriage that they'd always find some time just for the two of them or simply themselves every now and then.

That was before she was gone, idiot.

Yeah, but if Mikasa were here she'd probably chastise him for over-exhausting and ask him to go have some fun, wouldn't she?

Thirty minutes later the two of them were seated in their usual spot at Wendys, ordering their favourite drinks.

"More than thirty years! And it still tastes the best." Armin moaned sipping on his favorite milkshake and Eren had to stifle a laugh.

"Careful there, buddy. Annie won't be too pleased to hear that."

Eren expected him to blubber and freak out like he usually did but instead he let out a smile that took him aback.

"There he is."

"What?" He knew the meaning but played a fool because it was much better.

"Oh please. You rarely let yourself loose and even the kids are a bit concerned."

That piqued his interest as he cocked an eyebrow.

"They told you that?"

"Not in the direct words but it was pretty obvious. As much as you pretend otherwise with them, they are intuitive. They know you are not ok, Eren."

Scratching his neck, he turned his head– refusing to let the vulnerability show in his eyes.

"I am fine."

"It will get better." His friend tried to assure and Eren prayed to god it did. He couldn't sleep properly and found himself staring at the empty spot on the bed next to him every single night.

He knew he had three amazing kids and he should be grateful that he had a great relationship with all of them, but it wasn't enough. It simply wasn't enough to fill her absence.

She was his soulmate, his other half. Always had been.

His throat clogged up as he remembered the last moment he had laid his eyes on her, and he inhaled sharply to control the overwhelming emotions that threatened to consume him.

"Eren?"

"I am fine." His voice came out a little hoarse and smacked his lips to get a grip on himself.

Armin changed the subject and Eren inwardly expressed his gratitude for distracting himself for the remaining time.

It was past ten when he got home, and he realised that he hadn't been this late even for work reasons. Having his own clinic gave him the freedom and flexibility to work at his convenience as much as he could. He put in late hours when Mikasa was here, but after that he made a schedule, so he could be there for his kids. Plus, he didn't want them to think was an incompetent and absentee father. He wanted to prove that he could take care of them all by himself.

Porch lights were switched off when he got in, and he realised that kids might have retired to their rooms by now. Kitchen was utilized and cleared by now and he felt a surge of pride at his kids being responsible.

As he walked up to the stairs, he found the lights peeking through the doorway of Vanya and paused. What Vin said a few days ago was still eating him up, but he didn't know how to broach this subject without coming off as a typical overprotective Dad.

Not today.

He made his way to the end of the hallway, and opened the door slowly. Just for a split second, he wished he could have seen the beautiful sight of his wife getting ready for bed as she brushed her silky hair. He remembered their eyes meeting in the mirror, and he'd pass some flirtatious remark, she'd blush but provoke him back and they'd end up tangled in the sheets for the rest of the night.

His heart dropped when he noticed the emptiness of the room–it was devoid of warmth now and he felt chill pass through his bones as he stepped inside. He hated this place so much without her.

Today, he was missing her more than usual. Sleep was going to be difficult for him to come. Just what he needed.

He tossed and turned for the majority of the night–raking his hand through the cold silk sheets– picturing her laying there in a peaceful slumber. Closing his eyes he pretended that she was still by his side– her head on his shoulder, her hand resting on his forearm and her legs intertwined with him. She always clung to him because she was always so fucking cold especially in winters. She called him her personal heater and wrapped herself around him like a cacoon.

He pretended that she was still here, and closed his eyes not realizing when he drifted off to sleep with the last thought being his wife.

"... babe."

A gentle kiss was placed on his forehead as a hand cupped his cheek. He recognised that touch. He had known it like the back of his hand since he was nine.

He opened his lips but no words left his mouth, as the familiar melodious sound reached his ear. The voice of his angel.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up. It's nine am."

Mikasa?

But that couldn't be. She wasn't here.

Was this a dream?

"It's not a dream."

Huh?

His eyes snapped open and his wife's face greeted him. He had to blink once twice to make sure he was not having a dream within a dream. A light pinch made him wince and he realized it was her finger and almost crumbled.

She was here. She was real.

"M-mikasa?"

"Hey, you." She smiled in a way that made him weak every damn time and he couldn't help it. The dam broke and he felt tears prickle his eyes.

"You are back?"

"Yes." And before he could utter another word, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug and Eren felt like he could breathe again.

Two months.

Two bloody months, she had been gone to that damn art conference.

This was the longest they had ever been apart after their three years breakup.

He didn't know how long he simply held her tight to his frame and she was all too glad to return the favor. Once he felt like he had calmed down a bit, he moved to trace the rough pad of his finger over her face. For a moment he was transported back to the night when they first confessed their feelings for each other and he had spent a long time simply staring and touching her face–memorizing every inch of it.

Except for a few fine lines and a couple wrinkles( which really gave her a more dignified look), Mikasa didn't seem like she had aged a bit. Even her hair was back in that pixie cut he loved.

They stayed like that for what seemed like hours–exchanging kisses and hush hush touches and Eren felt like a teenager when she pushed his hand away when it started to wander. Breaking apart from her intoxicating lips, he cocked an eyebrow and found her pushing him away.

He couldn't help it. He let the hurt show on his face and watched Mikasa give him a look.

"Stop sulking, we have three kids if you have forgotten. They are waiting downstairs."

Ignoring her word, he pulled her in his arms, and started nibbling on the column of her neck. "They can wait a little longer." Grabbing her waist, he pressed their lower bodies together–letting her feel how much he had missed her.

"Need inside you–" He knew he sounded like a neanderthal as he pushed his tongue inside her mouth once, before returning to the smooth skin of her neck once again. "been two months."

She seemed really into it for the first couple of seconds–rolling her hips against his, but broke apart when he started reaching for the clasp of her bra.

"That's enough, mister! Put that away and come downstairs. I need to see to my kids as well."

"They are all old enough to look after themselves." He tried to reach for her again but this time she was quick, and got off the bed–shooting him a glare.

"Come on down. It's Sunday. The one day we all are at home and god knows I have missed it."

At that Eren sobered up, and realized just how difficult it must have been for her. At least he had their kids to keep him company but Mikasa was all alone all this time. It didn't help that the conference was in a remote area. Forget video calls, normal voice calls were hard to reach. Which reminded him…

She was supposed to return on Thursday evening.

"You didn't tell me you were rescheduling your flight." He inquired as they both got down once he had freshened up. He saw something pass on her face as she turned towards him.

"I couldn't wait that long to see you guys."

It was stupid to feel his heart beat at that simple line because they had been married for nearly two decades but he couldn't help it.

He barely opened his lips to speak when they got interrupted.

"Happy Father's Day!"

Mikasa

The look on Eren's face was priceless as he found their kids standing at the premise of the living room with identical grins. Even her moody girl Vanya seemed happy and that was truly a sight.

"What did I miss?" Eren half chuckled- half choked as Vera ran towards him and gave him a tight hug before blowing the party horn near his ear.

"Ouch!"

"Dad's nearing his retirement era, V. Careful, he might not be able to hear after that."

"Van!" Mikasa gave her a motherly look and she just shrugged before rushing in their direction. Eren, who was still wincing at the loud noise, noticed her reaching out for him and was taken aback.

"It's Father's Day, so you get a free hug pass from me." She might act all grown up and mature, but once she was nestled in his arms, she snuggled into his chest in the similar manner she used to as a young kid. She knew Eren missed that Vanya was not his little baby anymore who ran to him for every single thing.

Mikasa however, had nothing to complain as she and Vanya had grown a lot closer now. Now, Mikasa was the one she came to for spilling her secrets (Mikasa was the one who got her birth control pills and gave her the first pack of condoms). Teenage boys couldn't be trusted, she needed her daughter to be safe.

Vin followed after his sisters and it was only when he wrapped his arms around his Dad did Mikasa realize how tall her boy had gotten. He was almost as tall as her husband now, and she had to hold in an emotional sigh. It seemed like only yesterday he was always clinging to her, and asking her for cuddles in his sweet voice. He didn't deny her hugs now but Mikasa knew he'd prefer it from girls his age.

Oh well.

Was that how Carla felt with her and Eren? She might need to ask her aunt about it, because it was only a matter of time her own son would bring in a girl to introduce to his family.

"Come on, cut the cake, Dad." Vera dragged him towards the dining room and Mikasa followed silently with a smile of her own. Vera, their girl, was the only one they could still dote on as much as they wanted. She was the unexpected one–the miracle baby but she never once regretted having her. She was the balance between her siblings–neither too bold like Van nor the loner like Vin.

She had successfully dragged Eren in the middle and her adorable husband looked so confused as he stood in the between.

"I don't understand… when did you all come up with this?"

"No questions! Blow the candles, Daddy!"

"Ok. Ok!" He did as they said and the four of them clapped as he cut a portion from it. Surely, they followed this tradition for every father's day, but this one was special.

Mikasa cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, and smiled as her husband waited patiently for her to speak.

"We have never been separated for such long period of time since we got married. We always shared responsibilities and worked as a team." Her kids looked lost because it was their day, and this had not been part of the plan but what she wanted to say was crucial. "Even with the three kids, I never felt overwhelmed because you were always there by my side." At this, the corners of his mouth tilted. "This was the first time one of us had to look after the kids alone for a long while. Two teens and a preteen at that, I was honestly scared how you were going to do this."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, mom." Vanya said sarcastically, as Vera shushed her.

"Your dad was quite something in his teen years and you three being his kids doesn't ease my worries, sweetheart."

"Hey, I am normal." Vin grumbled, making his mom cross her hand.

"You are as moody as him. Let's not get ahead of yourself. Anyways, as I was saying–" She tuned out her kids momentarily, giving all her attention to her husband. "I heard from the kids how you tried your best to fill in both of our shoes, and gave it your all." Biting her lip, she resisted the urge to go to her man and kiss him square on the lips to show her appreciation. Too bad, her kids wouldn't appreciate it.

"Even I would have been intimidated at the possibility of doing this alone, so thank you Eren. Thank you…for being the best partner and father to my children I could ask for."

It was awkward with both of them occupying the opposite end of the table but their eyes were enough to convey the emotions they felt.

"I love you"

"I love you more"

"Not possible"

Mikasa smiled as he mouthed the familiar words. Some things never change.

"If you two are done eye smexing, can we continue?" Vanya piped in after a moment, and Mikasa gave her affirmation.

"I am not very good with words, but I just want you to know that we are thankful for you, Dad and everything you put up with for the past few days. I know we can be shitheads at times, but we… " She gestured looking at the sides–obviously finding difficulty in saying the words.

"We love you, Daddy. That's what Van means." Vera interjected and Vin shook his head. Eren meanwhile looked like he was about to well up once more.

He was still her emotional giant baby.

Deciding to provide distraction, Mikasa urged her children to go feed him the cake. With her speech and Vanya's, her man was left standing–holding the knife unusually in his grip.

"Older one goes first." Vanya side-stepped her siblings to near her Dad and Mikasa just had to capture that moment.

"Mom! At least let me know when you are clicking. This is not my good angle."

"Yeah mom, let her get in the perfect pose first. You got a couple hours?"

Her daughter's response was to show her middle finger to her brother, and it was Eren who chastised them.

"Come on people, act your age."

"He started it."

"Move. You are holding up the line."

"She's right. Don't make unprovoked comments at your sister."

"Yeah. Whatever."

Uh oh. It seemed like her son was having one of those bad days. She exchanged a look with Eren who seemed just as clueless as her.

"What crawled up your butt in the morning? Dreamed that Mona rejected you?"

"Shut up Van, I am not in the mood."

"Cool it down, both of you." Eren snapped and when she saw the identical anger in both father and son's eyes, she realised how Vin was turning more and more into Eren as he grew up.

And here she used to think, at least this one was similar to her.

"I think he's upset 'cause he saw Mona clinging to a guy in her story." Vera provided, not caring that her brother looked like he was about to burst.

"What are you spying on me?"

"You were sitting right next to me when you opened it."

"Alright, that's enough." Mikasa was starting to lose her patience now.

" –you mean her story with her cousin? You were jealous of her cousin?" Vanya gave him a look of disbelief and she could see her son sobering up immediately.

"Cousin?"

"Oh my fuc-freaking God! You were throwing a temper tantrum because of that? God, just ask her out."

"That's not… "

"Believe me, you are going to be happy with her answer."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Halt the discussion. Breakfast first." Mikasa motioned the two of them to sit on their respective seats.

Thankfully, the twins seemed to have realised they were this close to getting a lashing from their mom and behaved. Vera chatted animatedly during the breakfast, while the twins exchanged a few words every now and then.

Good lord she had no idea her son's crush was that serious.

Once they were done, Mikasa announced that they were going out and asked everyone to get ready. She wanted to pamper her husband today, because he earned it. She'd had plans for the two of them as well, but today was about kids and him, so she was going to hold in her selfish self.

"Wait a minute. Where's my present?" Eren joked as everyone started to get up.

"We thought Mom being here would be the best gift for you."

"Yeah, we told mom all about how you were mopping like a puppy dog in her absence." Van enthusiastically added to her brother and Mikasa could barely contain her laughter as Eren's cheeks turned red.

"I wasn't moping."

"Yes, you were. You also slept holding mom's pillow close to you."

"Vera!"

Mikasa burst out laughing–unable to help herself. She had missed this so much. God, she had missed all four of her babies a lot. Her eyes crinkled and when she looked up she found four pairs of eyes resting on her, and her laughter slowly died down.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"I should go get dressed."

"Yeah, me too."

Vera was the only one who was left as the rest scrambled away and she found her youngest letting out a tired sigh.

"We all missed hearing your laugh, mommy. They are just too much of a chicken shit to say that."

Chuckling, Mikasa hugged Vera, feeling her baby's heartbeat against her closely.

"I missed you guys too. So much."

Unsurprisingly, Eren was the first one to get dressed and she knew Vera and Vanya at least would take their sweet time. Her husband looked around at first and when he realised that the coast was clear–he engulfed her in his arms, locking lips like they used to when they were young.

Mikasa was only eager to comply–pushing her tongue inside the crevices of his mouth, tasting him like she couldn't get enough. She knew that if the kids weren't at home currently, they would have gotten to business right in the living room.

Yeah, they still had an active sex life and Mikasa was thankful that it didn't simmer down with their age. Plus, the two of them were regulars at the gym and yoga so that definitely played a major part.

"If you guys are done eating each other's face, can we leave?"

Vanya's smartass comment made them break apart and Mikasa could feel her cheeks turning red, but her husband didn't look ashamed at all.

"You do know that we did more than this to make you guys, right?"

"Eren!"

Her husband could be really shameless at times. Her daughter however was not one to take such remarks lying down, and when a smirk spread across her face, Mikasa knew she wasn't going to like what she had to say.

"I know, Dad. I have first hand experience at how that works."

And she walked out, followed by Vin and Vera leaving her husband traumatized to the core.

.
.
.

"Babe? Babe? Hey!"

Yup. Her daughter finally broke him.