Horrifically Wounded, Strikingly Gorgeous & Deadly [ErenXMikasa] [Eremika]

XXVII: A Reformed Sinner

[Mikasa] 

"It's yours now... and so am I." My hand fumbles with the ends of the red scarf as I take another drag of my cigarette. A gust of wind assaults my body through the open window of Eren's car, and I hug the scarf tighter around my neck. The blush on my cheeks helps me keep warm. "We're gonna be okay, I promise." Eren's words bounce around the confines of my mind like an old blu-ray logo on a TV screen. 

"...Hey," I hear the worried timbre of Eren's voice break the silence, and I feel myself let out a breath I didn't even realise I'd been holding. "You okay?" 
I shoot a glance at him. His eyes are already boring into mine the moment I turn my head, his hair tied messily against the nape of his neck as to show off that beautifully iridescent iris. A moment goes by. I feel the heat of the cigarette burn warmer and closer to my finger tips, snapping my head away to take another puff.
"...y-yeah," I stammer in between puffs, "I'm fine." The low hum of the radio fills the silence. I feel Eren grab the hand that plays with my scarf, tracing his thumb in circles over the back of my hand. I squeeze his hand tighter. 
"...we don't have to do this, you know," he says, his voice like syrup. I shake my head. 
"It's okay, I want to." The only words I have the courage or energy to muster up. I hear Eren let out an endearing chuckle. Oh, how I love the way you sound, Bright Eyes. 

The car becomes shrouded in an anxious silence as Eren turns his eyes back to the road. I pull my phone out to look at the time. 6:52. Eight minutes. I feel my chest tighten as I grip Eren's hand tighter; oh, how I wish this car ride didn't have an end. "...you wanna talk about it?" I swallow the throne in my throat, shaking my head vehemently. Another hearty chuckle. "We're getting close, so now's the time to change your mind," he chides, and all I can do is tighten my grip on his hand as I shake my head a third time. "Roger that." I watch as Eren turns the wheel to the right, pulling up to a charming neighborhood with very few houses - a far cry from the unassuming yet high-end cookie-cutter streets I'm familiar with. The banks are flanked by a multitude of thick trees - all barren, courtesy of the crisp winter climate. Bushes stand flush against the sides of houses, their twiggy structures protruding from the ground like deadly thorns. The street itself consists of no more than perhaps five to ten houses, all privatized by their own personal wall of nature. Despite Jack Frost having sunk his teeth into it, I imagine the area would be beautiful in the warmer months, lush with greenery and jewel-like colors. The car slows to a halt, the sound of Eren's handbrake screeching as he puts the car in park. We're here. 
My eyes come to land on the front door of a house decorated with invasive and unforgiving ivy. Despite its aggressiveness, the ivy embraces and swirls around the home beautifully. The front door stands at the top of old wooden stairs, paint having chipped away from years of weather wear. I immediately feel the terror sink in. After a moment, I hear the jingle of Eren's keys and feel the car stop humming. 
"...you sure you're okay?" Eren's voice breaks the silence once again, and I take a much needed drag of my cigarette. I let out a shaky breath. "...what if they hate me?" I whisper, my eyes having seemingly glued themselves to the front door that taunts me. I feel that familiar warmth - the same one that caressed me no more than a few days ago - envelop my chin as Eren tugs my head in his direction. His hand snaking its way across my cheek, I feel his thumb trace the same circles against it as he did my hand only a few minutes ago. I bow my head, unable to look him in the eye. God, Mikasa; hook, line, and fucking sinker. For some reason, I feel guilty - I have no right to feel this way, to feel this anxious, when I'm the one who put myself in this position. If I hadn't been such a cunt -
"...I'm going to be honest," Eren interrupts my train of thought, "they might hate you at first, but..." Wow, thanks Bright Eyes. "I hated you once upon a time, too," he says, tilting my head up to look at him. A shit-eating grin spreads itself across his lips for a moment, and suddenly the cocky alter ego I'm so familiar with has graced me with his presence. I shove him away, "fuck off," I retort, turning away from him. A mischievous laugh escapes his lips. 
Almost as instantly, however, Eren's hand finds its way to the side of my face and turns me to face him yet again. Within a second, the humor is gone, and that syrupy-sweet Eren returns. He purses his lips. Looks down at my lips and back up. "...I can't get enough of you now, though." 
I watch as Eren's eyes glaze over, and I can't help but find my face now inches apart from his. I lean more forehead against his, removing my hand from his grasp and tangling it into his hair. I let out a shaky sigh. It only takes a moment for our lips to meet, that same electrifying feeling resonating throughout my body. God, they're so soft.