Chapter Text
Eren woke up like he always did, his alarm clock blaring at a ridiculous hour. As usual, Mikasa was already in the kitchen. He could hear her moving things around as he shuffled in, still sleepy and a bit messy.
“Morning,” he said, rubbing his neck while reaching for the fridge.
“Morning,” Mikasa replied, not looking at him as she sipped her coffee.
That was it—just “morning.” No sweet nickname. No joke about how tired he looked. Nothing.
Eren paused, holding the milk carton halfway to his glass. He glanced at Mikasa, who was focused on her phone. Maybe she was distracted or hadn’t had her coffee yet. He decided to let it go—for now.
The morning went by quietly. They left for work, joking a bit about Eren’s terrible parking (even though he thought he was getting better, Mikasa’s unimpressed look said otherwise). Still… no nickname. Not even a playful tease when he bumped her arm while crossing the street.
By lunchtime, Eren was getting anxious. He leaned back in his chair at work, staring blankly at his computer, and Armin looked over at him, worried.
“You okay?” Armin asked, his face scrunched up.
“No,” Eren sighed, twirling his pen. “Something feels off with Mikasa.”
Armin tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“She hasn’t called me ‘baby’ all day.”
Armin blinked in surprise. “That’s what’s bothering you?”
“You don’t understand!” Eren groaned, leaning forward. “She says ‘baby’ every single day! It’s like second nature! But today? Nothing at all!”
Armin opened his mouth to reply but hesitated, unsure if he should laugh or be serious. “Maybe she’s just busy or tired?”
“No,” Eren insisted, narrowing his eyes. “Something’s not right. I can feel it.”
Armin sighed, realizing this wasn’t a battle worth having. “Why not just ask her?”
“I will,” Eren muttered. “I’m waiting until dinner. If she doesn’t call me ‘baby’ by then, I'm going to find out what’s wrong.”
When dinner came, Eren was buzzing with nervous energy. They ate mostly in silence, with only a few comments about their day. Mikasa seemed fine, which only made him more anxious.
As they cleaned up, Eren couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Okay,” he burst out, slapping a towel on the counter. “What’s up with you today?”
Mikasa looked surprised. “What?”
“You didn’t call me ‘baby’ once,” Eren said, sounding a bit harsh. “Not at all.”
Mikasa blinked and tilted her head, confused. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious!” Eren threw up his hands. “You always call me ‘baby.’ I thought something was wrong! Are you mad at me?”
For a moment, Mikasa just stared at him. Then she started laughing.
“Oh my god, you’re so funny,” she said, putting down the dish she was holding.
“I’m funny?” Eren replied, arms crossed. “You’re the one messing with my head! You’ve trained me! When you say ‘baby,’ I know everything’s okay. But today? Nothing!”
Mikasa covered her mouth, still giggling. “You’re unbelievable.”
“I’m unbelievable?” Eren scoffed. “You’re the one holding back!”
She stepped closer, her playful grin softening. “Eren,” she said, reaching up to flick his forehead lightly, “you’re such a baby.”
Eren’s heart raced, and he knew it wasn’t just because she finally used the word. “So you’re not mad?” he asked, a bit quieter now.
“Of course not,” Mikasa said, her expression softening. “I just didn’t know you cared so much about it.”
“Well, I do,” Eren admitted, feeling his face get hot.
Mikasa leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “Baby.”
Eren groaned, covering his face with his hand. “Don’t tease me, Mikasa!”
“I’m not,” she giggled, her smile growing. “You just look cute when you’re flustered.”
For a moment, Eren was too surprised to say anything. But as Mikasa turned to finish the dishes, he found himself smiling.
Maybe she was right—maybe he was a bit silly. But if it meant hearing her call him “baby” again, he didn’t mind at all.