"No way... Ereh, there has to be another way!" Mikasa burst out, her eyes locked onto Eren as he stood in front of the Levi Squad, his posture calm yet firm.
"Oi, you hormonal idiot... Shut up and listen for once," Levi snapped, irritation lacing his voice.
Mikasa clenched her teeth, but Eren remained unshaken, his gaze shifting from Jean to Historia before speaking again.
Erwin stood beside him, nodding in agreement. "That's the safest bet for now."
But Mikasa wasn't having it. She pushed herself to her feet once more, her persistence unwavering as she grasped Eren's arm.
"Commander, with all due respect... We don't need to hand Eren over to the Military Police or need the help of Reeves' company. None of them can be trusted, right?"
Levi sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation while the rest of the group silently observed. Erwin, however, remained quiet, watching with a faint smile as Eren let out a soft chuckle.
"Ereh! You understand, don't you?" Mikasa pressed, desperation creeping into her voice.
Instead of answering, Eren reached out and pinched her cheek. "Then tell me, how else do you plan on finding Rod Reiss, huh?"
Mikasa huffed, looking away, frustrated and flustered.
Eren smirked. "We know what we're doing, dear wife." With an easy confidence, he draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her close as they continued discussing the plan.
"Hange is already busy investigating our sterile priest's corpse," Eren added, his tone turning more serious.
Erwin nodded. "Pastor Nick's death has played an important role. With the city in unrest, we'll use Jean and Armin as a decoy to distract the government while we transport you and Historia to the MPs in the interior."
Everyone nodded in understanding—except for Mikasa, who still looked unconvinced.
Noticing her lingering frustration, Eren smirked and tickled her side, earning a sudden jolt from her as she bit back a laugh, glaring at him with slight embarrassment.
The Scouts were dismissed, returning to their dorms for the night. After dinner and a long discussion with Levi, Eren finally made his way back to his room. The faint glow of candlelight flickered against the walls, casting soft shadows across the wooden interior.
His eyes immediately fell on Mikasa, already lying in bed. At first glance, she seemed asleep, but he knew her too well—she was awake. And she was still mad.
With a quiet sigh, he changed into more comfortable clothes before slipping under the covers beside her. She lay facing away from him, her back stubbornly turned, the tension in her shoulders betraying her lingering frustration.
Smirking, he reached out, his hand teasingly tracing along her waist before settling on her abdomen. "My beautiful dear wife, you asleep?" His fingers brushed over the taut muscles beneath her shirt, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Heh? You've got some nice rock-hard abs but not better than mine. Hehe" he murmured, his voice laced with amusement.
She didn't respond.
Undeterred, he pulled her closer until his chest pressed against her back, his breath warm against the nape of her neck. He could feel the way she stiffened at the contact, yet she still refused to acknowledge him.
"Are you still mad at me?" he asked, his tone playful.
Silence.
His smirk widened—her composure was beginning to crack.
"Hey, wanna do it? But be gentle this time..." he teased, his lips nearly brushing her ear.
Still, nothing.
He hummed in mock thought, then grinned. "Kay then... I'll just play with you while you sleep."
She remained silent, but he could practically feel the war raging inside her. Stubborn as ever.
His grip around her tightened slightly, and he let out a quiet chuckle. "Let's see how long you can keep ignoring me, Mikasa." Smirking, Eren dipped his head and sank his teeth lightly into the arch of her neck.
"Hugh...!" Mikasa gasped, her body tensing at the sudden attack. Her eyes snapped open, caught between surprise and something else, before narrowing at him in irritation.
Eren, on the other hand, burst into laughter, clearly pleased with himself. "Gotcha," he teased, his breath still warm against her skin.
Before she could retaliate, he pulled her into a hug, his arms firm around her waist. But she wasn't having it.
With a small, defiant hmph, she turned away from him, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge his antics.
But Eren wasn't one to give up so easily.
"You really think you can ignore me forever?" he murmured, his lips brushing against her shoulder.
No answer.
A mischievous glint flickered in his eyes as he tightened his grip, his hands sliding up her sides with featherlight touches. "I can do this all night, you know."
Still, she resisted, though he could feel the faintest tremor in her resolve. Eren pressed a soft kiss to her cheek—then another, and another—each one lingering just a little longer than the last. He could see it now, the faint redness creeping up her face, betraying her stubborn silence.
"You little..." he murmured playfully before leaning in and biting her nose.
Still, no response.
Mikasa remained resolute, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
After a moment, Eren sighed, finally pulling back. "Tch... Fine," he muttered, flopping onto his back with an exaggerated huff. "I give up. Have it your way."
With that, he turned away from her, arms folded, feigning defeat.
For a while, silence filled the room, save for the soft rustling of sheets. Eren kept his back to her, pretending to sleep, though he could feel the heat of her gaze burning into him.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, Mikasa finally moved.
He barely had time to react before she suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, pulling him close. Her forehead pressed against his back, and he could feel her warm breath ghosting against his skin.
"...Ereh... You.. you're not mad, are you?," she muttered under her breath, voice barely above a whisper.
Eren smirked, but he didn't turn around just yet. "I am... I am really mad at you."
"...I... I'm sorry if I overreacted... I just don't want to stay away from you. Or trust your life to anyone.," she admitted, her voice muffled against his shirt.
He barely held his chuckle, then turned in her embrace, facing her at last. The worry etched in her big eyes, the frown on her lips made him grin, but before he could tease her further, she buried her face into his chest.
"Sorry... Don't be mad at me..."
Eren's playful expression softened. He brought a hand to her hair, running his fingers through the dark strands with slow, soothing strokes.
"How can I ever be mad at you." he murmured.
Mikasa didn't respond right away, but he could feel her gripping his shirt tighter, as if afraid he'd disappear if she let go.
He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, his voice softer now. "I'll always be here with you."
For the first time that night, Mikasa relaxed. She let out a quiet sigh and nuzzled deeper into his warmth.
"And even if someone dares to do anything to me... I know you won't let anyone do a thing..."
Eren pulled the blanket over them, wrapping an arm around her as he held her close.
"Sleep well, my queen, tomorrow is a long day..." And she smiled just to pull away and press her lips against his. They kissed for a while and just as he pulled back he looked at her, eyes closed and she was snoring.
A small frown tugged at the corner of his lips as he pulled her in a warm embrace.
Sleep came easily, and for the first time in a long while, they both felt at peace.