Family Ties(Erwin x Levi)

Acceptance

"Mikasa! So good to see you!"

Carla Jaeger's face was always a pleasant one to see. Mikasa couldn't find herself unhappy when looking at the kind woman. Eren might be on her shit list but Carla never would. If Mikasa had any mother figure outside of her family, it was Carla.

"Hi, Mrs. Jaeger. Is Eren home?" Asked Mikasa. Her head tipped curiously to the side, causing tendrils of hair to tip as well. They framed her face rather nicely. It was a planned hairstyle, of course; Mikasa hardly wore anything without planning the full look.

Carla smiled. "He is. Come inside, come in. It's cold out. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please." Mikasa stepped inside and removed her boots as well as her coat, hanging them up. The Jaeger's home was warm; their wood stove was on in the main living room and the convenience of the floor plan allowed for heat to spread evenly throughout the house. Mikasa had always liked the Jaeger home with its colonial aesthetics and refined, yet still homey decor. Pictures of the family throughout the years decorated the entryway along with framed accomplishments. A copy of Zeke's degree was in the main drawing room along with a picture of the family at his graduation. Only those familiar enough with the family would be able to see the strain in the smiles and how the light never quite reached Grisha and Zeke's eyes.

Mikasa followed Carla to the kitchen and took a seat at the table, turning to watch the woman as her delicate hands prepared the tea and turned on the kettle. "How are you, Mikasa? What's been going on?"

"Since fall sports ended, I have a bit of a break," Mikasa responded. "I have indoor soccer in the winter and then I'm going to tour some schools with my dads."

"That's exciting," Carla responded, turning to walk over and take a seat beside Mikasa. "You're all growing up. It's making me feel ancient."

Carla wasn't old by any standards. Her face was still youthful despite the slight wrinkles starting to form by her eyes. If anything, they only made her seem more inviting and warm when she smiled. There was a lightening of some hair strands but it didn't take from Carla's beauty at all. Her hair was long and tied loosely over her shoulder. Mikasa remembered the times, as a child, she would ask Carla to teach her to braid and then insisted on practicing with her hair and showing her dads. The braid was always terrible up until she turned ten and finally mastered it. It had been an accomplished day.

Mikasa laughed a little. "Mom, you don't look a day over twenty."

"You're the sweetest," Carla praised, laughing as well. "That's so great. And your dads are good?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Mikasa straightened. "They're really good. Daddy is going on a lecture-tour this summer and Dad's cafe is going well. I work there sometimes when he needs some help."

"That must be fun, working with your dad."

The heavy, exasperated sigh made Carla laugh. "Boss at work and boss at home, hm?"

"Yeah. But it's the only real job I've had so far. No one hires high school kids." Her shoulders shrugged. "And my dads said I need to work when I go to school."

"I think everyone should have a little job when they get to college. It helps them build their savings bit-by-bit." The tea water began to boil and Carla got up to pour the water. "What do you think you'll study?"

Mikasa hummed. "I don't really know. I think I could go for a soccer scholarship, but I don't want to do that for work. Plus, injuries could end that quickly." She thought. "I was thinking maybe counseling? Or..I don't know. Something with social work."

"Really?" Carla returned with the cups and set one on a coaster in front of Mikasa. She added a bit of sugar and barely a splash of milk. "What makes you interested in that?"