Promise Me | Book Three

Chapter Thirteen

Eren's POV

I had laid the food out on the table for Mikasa and Liesel to eat.
I hope Mikasa is all right, she seemed very upset before, and I'll talk to her about that when we are in bed. I don't think she'll want to speak of it with Liesel here.

I start to place forks next to the plates for us three, and I am confident that they will like it.
I failed at that time, and I'm still not good now, but they'll like this chicken and potato dish, I know it.
I tried to make a gravy, and it tastes pretty good if I don't say so myself.
I'm very proud of my cooking today.

As soon as I am done laying things out, I decide to call them down for dinner.
"Liesel, Mikasa, dinner is ready!"

Whilst I wait for them to make their way down the stairs, I put all of my cooking equipment in the sink; ready to be washed at the end.

I hear a set of feet make their way down and then I sit at the table as I wait for their appearance.

First it's Mikasa and then Liesel who I see.
I smile at Mikasa and she smiles back to me, but she could be just faking that.
"I made chicken and potatoes, so I hope that you guys like it."
"Thank you, Eren, it's looks really delicious," says Liesel as she sits herself down.
"Yes, this does look very good, thank you," then says Mikasa.
I take the first bite, as I feel like they feel as if they must be the first to try.
I look up to the two of them, who are cutting a piece of sliced potato with their forks and then a piece of chicken.
The table is silent.

"Eren," Mikasa speaks.
"Yes?" I ask, looking up to her.
"It's good," she says.
The words fill me with pride, and I express that with a smirk across my face.
"Thanks, I mean, I am an amazing cook after all," I say sarcastically, in attempt to start a fun conversation.
"Of course you are," says Mikasa with an expression that says to me 'sure you are.'

"I got to hand it to you on this one, Eren. This is really good. Probably the best meal I've had in a long time."
Liesel tells me. "Well, I had been staying in the woods for the longest time."
"You lived in the woods? You didn't even stay in that hideout when you were with them?" Mikasa asks Liesel.
"Even if they did let me, I wouldn't want to. It reeks down there."
"I'm so sorry, it must've been hard for you," Mikasa says out of sympathy.
"But, here I am now... With my family.
It's all all right now." Liesel looks from Mikasa and then to me, and I can't help but smile.

"So, you two are good now?" I ask both.
"Yes. We are."
I see Mikasa smile and then continue eating.
Good.

* * *

"Liesel, are you sure you're going to sleep on the couch? We can find you somewhere else to sleep," I tell her, as she is assuming that she will be sleeping on the couch.
"No, no, no, Eren. I'm used to sleeping on less comfortable things, and plus, you've been away from your woman for a while, you should be with her tonight."
I sigh and stare at Liesel as she gradually crawls into the blankets laid out on the couch.
"Thank you," I smile and go upstairs to where Mikasa is.

"You know, Eren, I realised that there is no bathroom," Mikasa says.
How did I forget about that? I'm sure I drew a blueprint for that.
Maybe I forgot to hand it in or something.
"Urgh... I completely forgot that there was none."
Mikasa starts folding her clothes that were laid out on the bed.
"So, where do you suppose we urinate, and wash?"
"Oh, there's a bathroom, it's just that it's downstairs. I wanted to make an en suite bathroom, but forgot about it. I didn't show you the other day." I say, throwing myself on the bed, face first. "It's the door in the seating area."
"Oh, I see," she says, putting her clothes underneath the bed. "I had been doing so in the bushes..."
I shoot back up, "what!" I slap my forehead with my palm, dragging it down my face.
"Why didn't you ask?!"
She laughs so lightly and sweetly. As she always does.
"I simply thought it was something you needed to add later. I didn't mind."
"Mikasaaaa-"
I got a new nightgown, would you like to see?" She interrupts.
I sigh through my nose, then insisting that, "of course I would."

She looks in a paper bag and takes out a beautiful silk gown. It has a silvery colour, and probably goes down to Mikasa's knees.
"That looks great, try it on," I tell her.
Mikasa turns around and begins to take off her jacket.
I feel my cheeks fire up and I look elsewhere, trying to reduce the amount of inner awkwardness that I'm feeling.

I resort to picking my nails to look casual, and I await for Mikasa to let me know when she is done.

"This is it," she says, and I lift my head to face her.
It suits her perfectly: the long sleeves fall down to her wrists, the silver hems fit around her body and I can still see her lean figure.
"It looks beautiful on you," I say, standing up from the bed to make my way over to her slowly.
I begin to stroke her soft hair, all the way down to the ends.
"Your hair is growing. You're not cutting it?" I ask.
"Do you want me to cut it? I will if you think it looks better that way," she suggets, but I press my finger to her lips.
"Nope, I think you should grow it again. You don't need to cut it now that you don't need to fight anymore. I like it."
I smile to her, as I comb my finger through her hair once more.
"Do you want to go to bed now?" I ask her, placing my hands back to my sides.
"Yes, I'm growing tired," she replies, crawling onto the bed.
I blow out the candle that was sitting on a shelf and only leave the one at the bedside alight.
I creep into the bed and turn to Mikasa and stare into her eyes, as those beautiful dark jets stare into me. It feels like it's been a while since we've had a moment alone like this.
"I'm so glad you're here," I say, gently pressing my palm and fingers against her soft and ivory skin.
Her smooth hand graces over mine, and I see a smile form over her face.
"Likewise," she says, shifting closer to me.

After a while of staring, I say, "let's talk."
Mikasa ponders for a while.
"Well, is there something you had in mind?"
I shake my head against the pillow beneath me.
"Just talk about whatever," I whisper.
She takes a while to reply to me.
"I was just going to ask if you wanted to have children, but I then remembered that you already shocked me with that subject before," she laughs, and I laugh along with her.
"Yeah, I would like to have children. I don't really care if they're a boy or girl, though." I reply to her.
"Me neither. If we have a boy first, I think he will be like you: headstrong, courageous and passionate," she imagines.
"For some reason, I could imagine our girl to get the best of both of us. But, I could imagine her looking up to you as a role-model. She'll probably want to be like you, and she'll probably be strong like you," I tell her.
"Well, we'll see when the time comes," she says.
"Now, when will that be?"
"Soon, after our wedding."
"How soon after?"
"Gosh, Eren, you're eager," she laughs, and I twist my lips in an awkward smile.
"Sorry, I'm just excited," I smile, my teeth bare.
"Our wedding is in almost three months. Miranda helped me sort some things the other day, and I know which dress I would like to wear."
She speaks in a quiet voice, almost like a whisper.
"Which dress?" I ask her.
"Your mother's," says Mikasa stretching her smile a little more.
I widen my eyes, like I'm surprised, which I am.
"I saw it many years ago, and I thought it looked so beautiful. I'm sure she looked stunning in it. I also want to wear it because I feel like it'll bring me closer to her. Do you mind?" Mikasa speaks softly.
"Not at all, in fact, I'm happy you want to," I say. "We can pick it up the next time we go to the Wall Maria. Mom left it in the basement, so it managed to survive. It should still be there, so I'll bring it home."
She sighs with relief and places her hand in front of her.
"Thank you," she whispers subtly.
"It's crazy... That was only a few years ago. We were only fifteen when so many of those things happened, and nine when it felt like our world was ripped out of our grasps." She says.
I squeeze her hand, "but, we got it back. Now, you're the one thing in my life that makes me feel truly at home," I tell her.
"Eren," she speaks my name almost inaudibly.
I shuffle closer to her to the point where we share breaths, and our faces are barely an inch apart.
As if we are opposites of a magnet, I'm drawn closer to her and our lips touch.
My arms automatically begin to enclose her in them and I feel hers do the same.
We are tightly closed together: compact, and as we kiss more definitely, we become even more close.
We close spaces that we didn't even know were open.

I feel a wave of heat run down and I move my head away from hers, to give us space to breathe.

Mikasa puts her hands behind my head, and pushes my head over her shoulder, so our ears kiss.
"I love you, Eren," she whispers, my heart pressing against hers.
"I love you too," I reply, unwilling to move position at all.
I like being close to her like this, it gives me an incredible feeling inside.

I move away and blow at the candle at the bedside, and return to her, pushing one arm underneath her side, and the other around her.
I feel her legs wrap around mine, and we just stay there, relaxed.
I feel her warm breaths travel down the back of my neck.
"Let's not move," I whisper. She doesn't say anything back, but I know she heard me, and she doesn't disagree, so she must like it here too.
I can't wait until September, so I can marry my love.