Retrieving •Eremika

Chapter 15: Waking Up

Mikasa's P.O.V.
The door to Eren's room was left ajar. As I neared, I could hear soft murmurings from behind the unblemished door. I knew his injuries were healing fine, yet a question still hovered in my head. What actually happened to his arm?

With a gentle knock, I nudged the door open with my elbow, careful not to spill the two cups of coffee in my hands. The whisperings inside ceased.

"Mikasa," Eren's eyes were open, his gaze bored into me. I certainly had not expected him to have awoken already. The aroma of coffee diffused in the small room.

I handed the two beverages to Hanji and dragged a chair in from outside, which scraped noisily on the floorboards.

"Do you feel a bit better already...?" I asked tentatively, plonking down into the chair. Eren's gaze traced my every move, seemingly fascinated.

"He's good to go, but he probably needs a bit of rest," Hanji cut in, taking a sip of the scalding drink, "thanks for the coffee."

The sickly taint of purple previously on his face was gone, replaced by a warm flush. He reached for the second cup of coffee, and although it was meant for me, I didn't protest.

"Thanks for everything, Hanji," I nodded curtly, hearing the constant and steady beep of the heart monitor, staring down at my hands.

"If you don't mind, can you please give us a moment?" Eren said to no one in particular, taking a gulp from the styrofoam cup, finishing the drink. Hanji smirked, knowing that he was directing his speech to her, jumped to her feet and left the room swiftly.

I stood up to see where she was going, yet a hand wrapped itself around my wrist, jerking me down. I lost my balance, my knees giving way and I fell backwards onto Eren's lap. I whipped my head around to see an impish grin plastered on his face as he settled his empty coffee cup on the chair Hanji was in. I sighed, opening my mouth to ask him what he had planned in mind. Without a single warning, he locked his elbow around my waist and yanked me towards him, sealing the gap between us. Why would he do this? Wouldn't this physically hurt him? He did not display any traces of agony as he grazed his lips against mine, his hand smoothing down my hair, furling the tips of it around his fingers.

I shifted my posture a bit to straddle his hip gently, unsure if it would cause any pain. The corners of Eren's lips tugged up. The kiss deepened, his arms clutching me tighter to his chest. His arm. I was so engrossed in him I nearly forgot my core purpose of coming to visit him. His hand travelled up the small of my back to the collar of my jacket, then to the lapels, slipping it off my shoulders. I placed my hand on his shoulder, no longer returning his kisses. Subtly, I distanced myself from him, refusing to continue. Sensing my rejection, Eren stopped fumbling with my jacket, cupping my cheeks with his hands instead.
End of Mikasa's P.O.V.

Eren's P.O.V.
"What's wrong?" I whispered, lifting her chin. My brows furrowed in confusion.

"Did you seriously just ask me what's wrong?" Mikasa's voice broke, "one minute ago your attitude to me was colder than ice, then now you're kissing me like nothing's happened." She moved herself off my lap, returning to her chair. Oh, great.

"I'm sorry, Mikasa, I can explain-" I started, realising how much of a brat I sounded, yet she didn't cut me off, allowing me to finish my sentence. "I can explain. I was trying to get you to not join the Survey Corps because I knew that you joined the Trainee Corps to fight in my place in Survey. It's too risky and I can't bear the thought of anything bad happening to you. I had to burn our bridge because I thought-no, Levi, Hanji and I thought- that this would be the best way to make you change your mind about joining. They reckon that you would then also be less of a...distraction to me." I could see Mikasa staring at me intently, assessing whether I was being truthful or not. "I just couldn't stop myself when I saw Jean inching closer to you."

"Eren, I believe what you're saying is perhaps the very fact," she murmured, reluctant to meet my gaze, still, "what about your arm then? And your ribs? How did they heal so quickly? Hanji said that your lungs were punctured but now you appear to be fine. There's more to it, isn't there?"

Crap. I had not planned this far yet. Levi and Hange had told me to keep this power that I possessed a secret from anyone besides the members in their squad. However, Mikasa's love outweighed my promise to them.

"You wouldn't believe me this time if I told you," I exhaled raspily, sealing my eyes shut.

"Try me," I could nearly hear her grinning when she said that, as if she was prepared to hear some hilariously ludicrous joke from me.

"I can regenerate." I almost laughed at myself for blurting it out like a fool. The notion had sounded less ridiculous in my head when I revised it before saying it aloud. I braced myself for the giggles yet there was none. Of course there would be none, it was Mikasa I was talking to.

"Eren...? I'm not joking, just tell me the truth," she said, sucking in a shaky breath.

"I'm not joking either, Mikasa, I'm telling the truth that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone," I pulled on a solemn look, trying to contain my laughter because the thought of me being able to regrow limbs and body parts still amused me.

Mikasa sat in silence, melancholically staring into space, contemplating and processing what I had just told her.

"A-Are you afraid? Do you think that I'm some sort of a monster now?" I tested water, hoping that she would not despise me after learning the truth. But I knew that she, being Mikasa, wouldn't spurn me.

"No, Eren, why would I?" She inclined her head to the side, "I have some things to tell you too, but I don't think I should tell you right now. You'll know anyway once you get your memories back." She then extended her neck, giving me a peck on the cheek.

I prolonged the peck, making it more of a kiss, holding her still with my hands on her waist. A giggle escaped Mikasa's lips as she flung her leg over the bed, sitting on my thighs.

"Oh. My. Gosh," a sharp voice made us jump, breaking us from the rare moment, "Why does this keep happening to me?" Armin...he was here too?

"Armin, hi, you're all here! Oh, and we got a room this time," I replied, raising an eyebrow at him. He was at the door with Annie beside him, who was holding a little bouquet of flowers.

"Why do I always happen to walk in on you guys doing your 'thing'? I came to see how you're going since I just joined Trainee but I'm going to go take a walk with my lover now, I'll come back later," he groaned, taking Annie by the hand and guiding her away from our room.

Mikasa chuckled slightly. It was perhaps the first time I heard a genuine laugh from her heart.

"So, do you want your scarf back?" I offered, "it's in my room in the Survey Corps camp. How about we go get it now?" She had said that the scarf belonged to me, yet I still couldn't quite piece it together. How was it mine?

A look of realisation dawned on her face, then her features softened visibly, "Yes, I would love to have it back, Eren."
End of Eren's P.O.V.

A/N: Please vote~~thanks readers!~~ Leena Yeager