backdated to the day after the shift from clonetemple mountain to basketballroom

[thornsofmalkav]

Guys! Guys, there's a Titan here! I think it's a Titan? He's huge and naked and hanging crepe paper from the chandelier and I don't think he's noticed me yet.

I'm gonna try to fly up and stab him. Survey dudes, please give me back-up, he's fucking terrifying.

[OOC: Anyone who wants can handwave seeing Eren in Titan shifted form trying to help decorate the basket ballroom. Or even doing his shift. Sadly, Thorne missed the shift happening which is why this.]

Comments

[callyourname]

[Welp. She might have a few other thoughts too, that Eren -- and really only Eren -- could get away from her mind with something like that. But she can't speak about them, so that's going to wait for some other time too.]

It's not like I want to go anywhere... [from Eren. Never ever. So no, no more pulling away for anything thing.] And it's okay, you can get frustrated -- it's nothing I can't handle and better just let it all out. We'll get through anything.

[Mikasa leans on Eren and cuddles a little closer in the tight hug, closing her eyes as she feels the hand on her hair. It makes her want to touch his soft and fluffy hair too, but she's keeping her hands on petting and rubbing his back for now. It's amazing to notice how he finally relaxes and she doesn't even notice doing the same. So many things she never thought she'd ever hear... And things she never thought she'd dare to say, why does it always take them to get to extremely bad situations before stuff like this can happen? Maybe one day it will be different.]

Eren, can I stay? You shouldn't be alone...

[Sure, make it sound like it's just him, who shouldn't sleep alone after all this.]

[bite_the_hand]

I know. [It's not like the two of them - or the three of them for that matter - wanted to be falling apart like this. They were all hurting, all trying to figure out what to do with the differences in time between them now. Knowing that didn't make the fact it was happening hurt any less. But thankfully that seemed to be over now, at least between Mikasa and himself. It was enough that when she said they'd get through anything, he was able to genuinely believe her.]

[For the first time in too long Eren really felt like everything would be okay. Enough so that he even manages to let a teasing note come back into his voice.] ...But if you start saying crazy stuff again like that 500M Class comment, I'm still asking.

[Mikasa might not realize how much she's relaxing, but Eren can most certainly tell. It's a huge relief, knowing she really was feeling better about all of this too. Although with that relief came finally feeling just how exhausted he really is, mentally and physically. But he didn't want to say anything, didn't want her to leave... But then she asks to stay and very nicely solves that problem for him. Eren leans back just enough for them to be able to look at each other again, and nods.] Please stay.

[callyourname]

[It's amazing to hear that tone again. Especially after a while of thinking, that he wouldn't even talk to her anymore -- not before she'd tell him everything anyway.]

And I won't even be surprised when you ask.

[... Even though there is a lot of crazy stuff going on back home, but a 500M titan? Yeah, she hasn't seen anything near that height.

She almost wants to stop him from leaning back, thinking he is going somewhere away from the hug. But he's just -- Eren, so close. Mikasa is staring at his eyes and hearing him say the word please like that feels like it makes her heart skip a beat or two.

Almost too close for a girl in love to resist... but no, no she's just going to keep on the resisting thing. She just got him back from things that hurt. She sure doesn't want to make things awkward by doing anything new and weird. Seriously not the time to try it if there's ever going to be a time for it.

So instead Mikasa nods and gives a tiny kiss on Eren's cheek ( thank you, Armin, for doing that to her earlier because clearly that helped making this decision! ) ...Better watch out, Eren, she's getting braver at showing affection to you. She leans her forehead against his.]

I'll stay as long as you let me stay here.

[bite_the_hand]

[Resisting is probably a good idea. Everything was different enough and weird enough as is, and Eren just plain doesn't have the mental energy to deal with another curveball right now. Not even for good things, especially not for things that he'd try seriously overthinking. That exhaustion shows, too. He looks better than when he'd first reached out to her, at least, but it was clear the mental and physical stresses of the day had caught up to him.]

[Little signs of affection he didn't have to think about too hard though, like that kiss on the cheek? Those are lovely. And don't need overthinking at all. Of course she's going to show more affection like that right now. He's showing more affection right now himself. After she kisses his cheek Eren rests his head back on her shoulder.]

Mmmm. Good. [He already sounds half-asleep as he says that. Sure enough, a moment later his grip on her loosens and he begins softly snoring. ...Except sleeping there like that will get really uncomfortable for them both pretty fast. Thankfully his bed is right there, covers already pulled back invitingly because he hadn't bothered remaking it after the last time he'd tried (and failed) to sleep...]

[callyourname]

[Mikasa pets his soft and fluffy hair as soon as Eren rests his head there. He is asleep so fast, that the girl completely misses the chance of helping them to the bed while they're both awake as that's her plan at first... Now she looks surprised at his speed sleeping skills for a moment.

Well, they really can't sleep here but she can go on with that plan without Eren being awake... That bed really is like an open invitation to it and he agreed for her to stay already.

So Mikasa gets back on her feet, keeping Eren with her as well as she can before she carries him to the bed and gently lays him down there. And then she just --- stares at him for a long moment, fingers gently brushing some of the brown hair away from his face.

She'd go there with him right now! She wants to go there with him right now even but she notices that the door is still open. Tch. She remembers closing her own door but apparently the sight of Eren in this room was too much for her weak heart to even remember to do that.

Well, Mikasa doesn't want to leave it open. She sighs and moves away from Eren extremely slowly, fingers touching his fingers for as long as she can still reach them. It's not just a door, it's that she really doesn't even want to go away from him - not after saying that she'll stay there as long as he'll let her stay. On the other hand, it's just a door and she can go back there as soon as this is done. So she hesitates a lot before she finally sneaks to that door. The sooner she gets this done, the better! But she's still keeping an eye or both on him as she goes, looking over her shoulder like he could disappear from there any minute.]

[bite_the_hand]

[As long as she's keeping contact with him, Eren continues to sleep peacefully. But as her fingers slip away from his Eren gives a quiet little not-quite-growl, reaching out in his sleep as if to grab her and and pull her close again. But after that he seems to settle back down.

Seems to until she makes it to the door, that is. He makes a little groaning sound, frowning in his sleep. Another groan. Then he whimpers, reaching out for her again, searching for her.]

[callyourname]

[The first growl is cute. It's okay, Eren, she'll be right back even if she can't say it to him right now. Or she could, but she's not sure if he'd hear and she doesn't want to wake him up either.

Her hand touches the door when that second sound comes out and it's also the time when Mikasa notices that it's cold when she's so "far" away from him. She's pushing the door as fast as she c-- And looking over her shoulder as he groans again. She shuts the door silently and turns to go back to him, just in time for that whimper to call her back there. And all that is enough to get her a little emotional, so she's rushing back there with silent steps as fast as she can.

She reaches his hand first before she gets on the bed right next to him and lets go of the hand so he can hold her there. Her lips gently kiss his forehead.]

Don't worry, Eren. I'm right here.

[... and he gets another kiss to cheek too before she cuddles closer and wraps her arms around him.

Anyone can try to take him away from there and fail horribly because Mikasa is not going to let him go anywhere. Just like it should have always been... ... Nope, not going to think about things that happened years ago. Not now when all she wants to think is this moment.]

[bite_the_hand]

[His hand closes around her's, clinging to her tightly even in his sleep. He doesn't loosen his grip until she lies down beside him. Even then he only lets go so he can wrap his arms around her. Only then does he start to relax

[As he settles back down he mumbles in his sleep. It's nearly unintelligible, but if she's listening closely she might just be able to pick out the words "don't" and "alone". At least her gentle kisses are able to bring a small smile back to his face for a moment as he snuggles right up against her. It only fades because he seems to drift back into a dreamless sleep, expression completely relaxed. Peaceful.

[Well, that might explain some things, at least. Even before he'd turned into a titan earlier he'd looked exhausted. He was pushing through and hiding just how tired he was from most of Liminal Space, but there was no fooling Mikasa that way. She knows him far too well. But if his dreams turned to nightmares that fast, was it any wonder he'd been so tired?]

[callyourname]

[Having his arms around her right now feels amazing and makes her wish this would happen more often. Or that she'd even dare to hug him even more often. Then again if she'd end up watching her with some tears of joy in her eyes like she's doing right now, that would be weird... Not bad, just weird or things she's not sure how to even explain if anyone asked.

Mikasa has all the time and attention to listen to Eren and his heartbeat, so it's easy to catch the words and fill in the blanks. Or come up with her own blanks, that works too. Nope, she's not going to leave him alone and she's certainly not going to go anywhere from here. She'd stay here just like this forever if it was her choice.

And then Eren does that snuggling thing and Mikasa just stares at him, eyes wide in surprise and face going at least as red as the color of her scarf. Small gesture to a sleeping person but a huge step closer to a girl in love -- but then again this whole situation from the moment he talked her into finding him from this room has been like one gigantic step in everything. She adores his smiling face, but the peaceful face is wonderful to see too. It brings the same feeling to her mind too. Everything would be okay -- no, not just okay, they'd be more than fine.

Mikasa keeps staring at Eren, gently petting his hair and back almost all the time. It's not like she's any good at sleeping without him around either and she regrets not having kept him close like this all the time while they were kids. But nope, not going to think too much about that. Not now, tonight is for peaceful sleeping if she's going to sleep at all.

But Eren hiding his tiredness from her ...Nope, it's never going to work, she'll always see it before he'd even realize it himself.

She's tired too, but she doesn't want to sleep. Not yet. She just wants to keep looking at him for a while longer. Or she could just not sleep and do this forever instead.

Eventually she cuddles just a bit closer, that is as close as she can get here right now and it's so close that she can nuzzle his nose and face before she gives him a kiss on the jaw this time. She really is getting braver, maybe you should watch out, Eren! Then she makes sure they're both tucked warmly under the blanket before she lets herself fall asleep too. And it's not going to be nightmares this time... All that staring into his peaceful, dreaming face? Perfect way for her to dream peaceful, sweet dreams too.]