MorningWood

Chapter 3

The morning sun glints through the window, just enough of a sliver between the blinds to shoot over Eren's eyes causing him to wake early.

He shakes his head from the morning dazzle, his hand reflexively rising to block the bright sunshine from his eyes. His vision recovering, he glances around the peaceful room.

Mikasa still rests beside him, the covers over her chest rising and falling evenly in her slumber. Eren sits up and stretches his arms. He glances around the room, unsure what to do with himself in the early morning. He flops back down to the bed, arms flayed over the open space as he indolently considers the day while trying not to disturb the sleeping beauty beside him. He spends several minutes eyeing the ceiling with disinterest before finally flipping the covers from her legs and throwing his legs out over the side of the bed.

He neatly lays the sheets back over his side of the bed. Her wrist rises up and curls up beside her face, catching his attention. He continues walking, stealing a continuing glance at her sleeping imperturbably until he reaches the door. He silently turns the knob and walks out into the hall, leaving a small gap in the door as he departs.

A few minutes pass uneventfully as Eren begins the process of making a cup of tea, pacing between rooms still unsure what to do with himself between steps. He stands in the hallway, looking into the living room somewhat absently as his mind wanders around its furnishings and trinkets.

What feels like twenty minutes pass, when he suddenly remembers he was preparing tea. He turns the corner sharply and strides into the kitchen, removing the kettle from the flame and swiftly stifling the stove. He opens the cabinet adjacent to and above the stove and pulls out a dark walnut box. Placing it on the counter, he opens the lid with a finger and gazes down over an array of teas.

Lemongrass, earl grey, jasmine... one called "Red Rose Dragon," and sleepy tea are among the first names he runs across. His hands slump against the counter and he huffs at himself. Don't even know what tea I'd like... talk about a languid start to the day. Eh..

He closes his eyes and waves his hand over the box, randomly swirling his hand around until he drops it and picks up a tea bag. A white tea named "Ivory Dragon." He flips the package around and reads the label: "Ivory Dragon – a white tea consisting primarily of Yunnan providence tea leaves, with a hint of vanilla extract."

Hmm. Don't think I've had this one before. He muses to himself, ripping open the paper packet and unfurling the string while dropping the tea into a fresh mug. He pours the hot water into his cup with one hand and closes the lid to the tea box with the other. Repeating the multitasking, he stirs the tea with one hand and stows the tea box with the other, shutting the cabinet as he peers down to see a dim yellow tint to the tea.

He walks back into the living room and stands at the window, looking out at the rising morning sun cast over the grass outside as he takes his first sip of tea. Hm. Doesn't taste much different from black tea. Bit more subtle, maybe. He takes a larger swig after a few minutes continued to pass by quietly while watching the outdoors. A mild, but distinct aftertaste of vanilla swells over his tongue. Ah, there's the vanilla.

He turns around and walks up to the nearest bookshelf and skims over the labels until he finds one called "Picturesque Landscapes." He takes the book from the shelf and plops down on the plush chair beside him and begins paging through the book; staggered prints juxtaposing black and white photographs with hand-colored panoramas of the same terrain sharing each face of the open book.

His head down in the book, still holding the tea at his side, he doesn't notice Mikasa silently peak around the corner of the hallway. She pauses with just her forehead and eyes peeking around the corner of the wall as she watches him flip a page quietly.