Retrieving ?Eremika

Eren's P.O.V.
Mikasa was silent for the entire day at school. We sat beside each other, along with Armin, during most of the classes we had, yet she hadn't spoke. Not once. She seemed to have spiralled into her world of thoughts while Armin chit chatted on about Einstein's theories. I had pretended to listen, courteously, but occasionally, I would steal a glance at Mikasa, who melancholically remained silent, staring into space.

As soon as the bell went, she was the first to leave the classroom, without saying a word of goodbye to anyone. Was she still thinking about what had happened yesterday?

Flinging my bag into my shoulders, I waved to Armin briskly and left the room, reaching the gates within half a minute. Mikasa was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Annie, which was possibly due to the fact that I was early to leave.

I walked home wistfully, alone.
End of Eren's P.O.V.

Mikasa's P.O.V.
My head was still spinning after my conversation with Eren yesterday. Did I just ruin our friendship? My footsteps echoed off the walls of the partially demolished brick houses of the Trost District as I strolled home, staring intently at the pattern of the pavement, engaged in my own world.

There were footsteps behind me. No one I knew of lived near my house, thus no one would walk home using the same route. I quickened my pace, and so did my follower. No, he wasn't alone, he had around two others with him, judging by the footsteps.
Calmly, I took a sharp turn to take refuge in an alleyway. Wrong choice. The alleyway was a dead end. Although I was familiar with the streets, I never took note of the alleyways and where they led to.

The three men advanced, sprinting to catch up with me. I attempted to clamber up the walls, but a hand gripped my ankle and hauled my down. Shrugging off my schoolbag, I whipped my head around to see the three grinning slyly, eyes raking me from the head to toe, cornering me. They were not the same men from six years ago, yet they were definitely traffickers. I had played this scene over and over in my mind before, the way I would throw punches and kicks and escape victoriously. But I simply froze.

"Ya know, orientals like ya would sell for a lot, am I right, fellas?" The one in the middle bellowed, his two partners snickering in reply. His hand reached out and rested on my cheek, then on my scarf, tugging it loose. Aiming for his abdomen, I kneed him, as my free hand punched the one to his left. A hand grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, as I deftly kicked my attacker in the guts.

One leaped from nowhere and pinned me to the wall, crushing my windpipe with his arm. "If ya're gonna put up a fight like that, we wouldn't go easy on ya," the man snorted.

With a yelp, one of the men fell to the ground and passes out, as we watched in shock and horror. A blurred figure agilely descended from the rooftops, tackling the man holding me hostage, twisting his arm to an odd angle. The third man up and dusted, fearing the newcomer. I had shut my eyes, believing that it was a mere dream.

"Why would you do something like this?" The person screamed, pinning the man to the ground. At his voice, my eyes snapped open. Eren was threatening to strangle the man, his hands tightly wrapped around his throat. As soon as his gaze met mine, his iron grasp on the neck loosened, and the man under him batted his arms away, dashing to safety outside the alley.

Eren's emerald eyes dilated, locking gazes with me. He stood up, straightening his jacket, "don't worry, you're safe now," he murmured, panting. Those were the exact same words the boy had said to me the day the traffickers took away my ordinary life.
I threw my arms around him, gripping onto my scarf, weeping into his shoulders.

"Eren, why are you here?" I cried, choking on my tears. He wrapped his arms around my waist, "I live in this area...it's alright now, Mikasa." I pulled away slowly and rested my forehead on his. I wasn't sure what I was doing. We shared the same air, as he gazed adoringly at me and leaned in. I let him.

I closed the space between us, his lips crashing onto mine. I could feel my cheeks flush, his arms cradling me against his chest. I had never kissed any boy before, let alone someone I had just gotten to know better. His eyes were sealed shut, relishing the moment. I wondered if I was his first too.

"Oh my gosh, guys, get a room, like seriously," a voice yanked us from our intimate moment. We sprang apart, as if we were caught doing something we shouldn't have otherwise done. Armin was standing in the entrance of the alleyway, his mouth agape, his hands tightly grasping onto the straps of two bags. He waddled forwards, swinging one of the bags to Eren, who was gobsmacked by his abrupt interruption.

"Eren, here's your bag, you left it a block away from here," Armin chuckled sweetly, swapping surreptitious glances with me .
End of Mikasa's P.O.V.

Armin's P.O.V.
They sat facing each other, dazed. A look of realisation crossed Mikasa's brightly-coloured face as she crawled away from Eren, eventually standing.

"I'm sorry Eren," she whispered ever so quietly, grabbed her bag, on the ground, in one swift motion and bolted off, leaving only plumes of dust, the only evidence of her presence several seconds ago.

"No, Mikasa, wait," Eren snapped out of his reverie, determined to chase after the girl. I caught hold of his arm, which was corded with muscle compared to mine, hence he wrenched out of my grip effortlessly. Yet it was enough to stop him in his tracks.

"Eren, I don't think she's ever told you, but she's been through something very traumatic and she isn't really willing to open up to any relationships right now," I slurred, thinking of Jean and his futile 'proposals'. The spark of fire extinguished in Eren's eyes as his knees gave in and he deflated, sinking to the ground. I kneeled beside him encouragingly, "look, the feelings that you have towards her are probably mutual, but you just have to wait. I mean, I've never heard of her kissing anyone."

Eren pulled his gaze up,his eyes watering, "I feel like I've just re-established this lost connection in my head. I lost my memories, Armin, Ive told you before. Now I don't know what it is that I've re-established, I don't know what it is." His voice broke, carrying with it the tension and the fear, entangled in a string of complex emotions.

My heart fell at the sight of my two friends crumbling apart. Eren, supporting himself with his arms on the wall, shakily got on his feet, retrieved his bag, and idly walked the same direction Mikasa did, heading home.
End of Armin's P.O.V.