The night Mikasa first stepped into Eren's home, though she was alive, it felt like something inside her had broken beyond repair.
Carla and Grisha were both visibly worried, never leaving her alone for too long, trying to provide whatever comfort they could.
Unexpectedly, Mikasa ended up in Eren's room. No one planned it that way, but the situation had been chaotic, and it seemed like the best place for her at the time.
"Hey, Eren… sorry, son, but I'll get her some furniture in a couple of days. Just sleep on the futon for now, alright?" Grisha's voice had a soft, apologetic tone, but Eren didn't seem to mind.
He simply nodded, laying down on the futon without protest, eyes fixed on the ceiling, while Mikasa sat silently on the edge of his bed.
She had just finished another round of tears, and now she was staring blankly out the window at the stars clustered around the full moon.
The room was blanketed in darkness, save for the pale light that filtered through the misty glass, casting an eerie glow over her face. Her eyes were void of life, grey and empty.
It was close to 11 p.m., and Eren still hadn't completed his daily system exercises. He was running out of time, the looming threat of punishment creeping in his mind, but he was too distracted to care at the moment.
He thought about sneaking outside to finish them, but something about Mikasa kept pulling his focus back.
Just as he was about to rise, he noticed her trembling at the edge of the bed, her body curled in on itself, cheeks flushed red, her arms wrapped tightly around her shivering form.
"It's… cold... Mom... Dad..." Her voice was barely a whisper, broken and fragile. Tears began to well in her eyes once again as she looked over at Eren, her breathing uneven and shallow, as fog escaped her mouth.
A system notification popped up in front of him.
[Heart Rate Increasing at a Rapid Rate]
Eren barely noticed it. He didn't know how to handle the situation. He wasn't good at dealing with emotions like this. But somehow, his body moved on its own. It wasn't the system this time—it was him. Before he even realized it, he had crossed the room and pulled her into his arms, her small, trembling frame pressed against his chest.
It felt familiar. Too familiar. Like he had done it countless times before, but there was no memory of it.
"It's alright... I'm here. Cry all you want. I... I promise, I'll hold you together. Now and Forever." The words slipped out of his mouth without thinking, but it didn't feel forced.
Eren wasn't someone who enjoyed talking or comforting others. He preferred being alone. But right now, that didn't matter. Not with her like this.
She cried, her tears soaking into his shirt, and he just held her, unsure what else to do. At some point, Carla and Grisha peeked into the room, but seeing them like that, entwined in their shared pain, they simply smiled softly and left without a word.
Mikasa's entire body was trembling, and her shirt was drenched with tears. Eren didn't care. He just sat there, holding her, comforting her the best he could. But in the back of his mind, the damn system screen wouldn't go away, constantly reminding him of the ticking clock.
[Time Remaining for Completion of Daily Quests: 00:54:18]
It didn't matter. Not right now. All that mattered was her.
"Dismiss," Eren thought, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I'll take the punishment." The notification vanished, dissolving into the air, leaving him alone with Mikasa's soft sobs.
Her hands clung tightly around him, her face pressed deep into his chest, her head resting beneath his chin. The intensity of her grip was surprising; it seemed she refused to let go, like he was her only anchor in a storm.
It felt... odd. Just hours ago, she had been nothing more than a broken girl, and now, she held onto him like he was her lifeline. Before long, her breathing steadied, her sobs quieted, and she drifted off to sleep in his arms, her face still buried in his chest. She held him so tightly it was impossible for him to move without waking her.
Carla appeared quietly at the door, her eyes warm and proud. She crouched beside Eren and whispered in his ear, "Nicely done…" Her smile was gentle as she gave him a soft nudge, signaling for him to stay put.
"But... Mom…" Eren started to protest, not thrilled at the idea of being stuck like this, but Carla playfully shushed him, draping a blanket over the two of them.
"Shhhh… she'll wake up," she whispered, wiping her own tears away. Eren sighed internally, resigned to spending the night like this, all because he'd shown a little kindness.
Carla left them alone, and the house grew quiet once again. Mikasa was still clinging to him, her body calming in sleep, but her grip remained firm. Eren, frustrated but not heartless, kept his complaints to himself.
Then, Mikasa whimpered softly in her sleep, her face tightening as a tear slid down her cheek, her grip around him growing even tighter. The scarlet scarf around her neck loosened slightly.
"Might be having a bad dream…" Eren thought, gently brushing his palm over her hair to soothe her. His hand moved instinctively, a calming gesture, while his thoughts drifted to the system.
He checked his rewards to distract himself, but a lingering question gnawed at him—why hadn't the system punished him? It was already past 1 a.m., an hour since his quest time had expired.
"I'll deal with it later..." Eren muttered, unable to fight off the pull of exhaustion any longer. The lure of sleep became irresistible, his eyes growing heavier with each passing second.
A yawn escaped his mouth, dry and slow, as his body finally gave in. He fell into a deep slumber, his hand still resting gently on Mikasa's tear-streaked face, holding her close.
Embracing her, the boy who rarely showed his emotions found himself comforted as well, by both the trauma she carried and the strange blessing that had brought them together.
"Feels Nostalgic..."