#Much like Nightmare uses restoration to help things return to a whole moment. to ENABLE them to heal.

[ancha-aus]

RealAgeAU Drabble - Reminiscene

Hello everyone :3

You all know what time it is!! I think... It is time for another Dream drabble :3 @spotaus I know how much you like having dream be put through the ringer :33

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Not much to say this time. You guys ready?

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All things considered? Dream had been doing okay lately.

The worst part was that he wasn't sure if he felt good or bad about it.

At least Core didn't call him every 5 minutes anymore. Seems like the outcode child finally accepted that Dream had changed. That Dream had moved on.

Hah.

If only they knew how little he had actually moved on.

Dream stands in the greyed out forest. Waiting and listening. Not even a slight breeze. No sound.

A dead AU.

He used to blame Nightmare for that, for killing their AU.

Nowadays?

Dream figures it was just the end of their AU.

Dream leans against a tree and sighs. He tries to reach out but no sounds.

On his solo trips and, as Blue liked to call them, self discovery trips. Dream had learned he could speak to trees. Though maybe calling it speaking was a bit generous.

The trees didn't use words. Just sounds and whistles and whispers that could almost have been words. Dream had still been able to understand however. He just had to listen.

Seems like that was a theme for him. He just had to listen to be able to understand.

Even so, he takes a deep breath and leaves the forest and walks towards a familiar hill.

He kept returning here. Dream wants to say he doesn't know why and that it is just his home calling back for him.

He knows the truth.

He stops by the old cut down stump and focusses on the two familiar graves.

Seems like he hadn't been the only one visiting. There are once again fresh flowers. All beautifull yellows and orange coloured this time.

Dream smiles as he sits by the graves and gently touches the flowers. Part of his soul grieves at the two graves, once of which is meant for him. But another part of his soul sings in joy.

Because there is only one monster who could have made these graves and left these flowers.

Dream chuckles as he glances at the stump "Nighty came by... didn't he?"

No answer of course. Nim has died a long time ago. Even so Dream leans back against the stump as he keeps looking at the graves, most of his focus is on his own.

Dream keeps staring at the graves as he speaks "I know you won't answer me... with you being gone.. But... I want to at least think you are listening to me. Just this once."

Nim never listened to him. Neither to Nighty. They just had to listen to her.

Look at where that lead them.

Dream watches over the grey fields and the village in the distance. "Had you already decided near the start? Which one of us you would love and which one you wouldn't?"

No answer but Dream didn't mind. He watches the village in the distance. He can't help but wonder how often Nightmare would have had to do this alone. Keep watch alone.

"Or was it an in the moment decision? Had there been a moment were you held both of us and loved us both? Or had you decided the moment Nightmare formed that you would hate him?"

How often Dream would rush off, ignoring the quiet pleas to stay wiht Nightmare.

"I think you decided from the start. Why else would you give him the name you did? Say the only thing that matters about him is how he was different from me."

Would he have seen those angry people coming? With weapons? Had Nightmare been afraid? Wondering where Dream had been? Why Dream hadn't stopped them?

"It has to be the reason. Why else would you tell me to make friends with the villagers and help them? While telling Nightmare to stay put and send them away? You must have known. Known that by making me help them and by making Nightmare deny them that they would grow angry with him."

How often had Nightmare believed Dream had abandoned him? Only for him to end up mortally injured?

"You don't deserve the grave he made." Not that Dream thinks he truly deserves one himself. Even if he returns each time to see if new flowers are left for him.

Dream once again wonders if he should leave a message for the next time Nighty visits... Just something that he wishes to talk.

But then that ever present fear returns. What if it meant Nightmare wouldn't visit this place anymore instead of answering? What if he decided it was better to completely cut their past lose from him instead?

Dream hugs his legs as he tries to remember how colourful everything had been. How beautiful it had been.

But... Dream now realises that it had just been a prison of responsibility... For both him and his brother.

A golden cage... but still a cage.

Drema snorts as he nudges Nim's grave "Yet here you are! immortalised by a grave your son made you! You know. That same son you aparently never liekd or wanted? That son made you a grave and keeps said grave clean and brings you flowers. I bet you wouldn't even be thankful for it."

Dream knocks the stump with his fist "After all! How often did you tell me that I should focus on myself? How i should focus on making the villagers like me? How i shouldn't bother to wait for Nighty to return from the river?" Nim had been trying to seperate them from the start. A dream had never realised.

Dream sighs as he hugs his legs "We were children. Little babybones and you gave us adult responsibilities...." They should have just ran. the two of them should have just disappeared into the forest.

Nighty had asked him a few times if they couldn't just leave together.

Dream should have realised something was seriously wrong. Nighty had been the one who took their jobs so seriously.

But... Dream had just said he didn't want to leave his friends in the village behind.

"I wish i could turn back time... get a redo... I would stay by Nightmare's side. I would convince him that the job you gave us wasn't our job."

Dream wonders why Nightmare had been so set on doing their job so well... Dream has ideas but none of them are happy reasons.

"What... waht did you tell him? That made him desperate to do this job well?" Which lies had Nim told Nightmare in Dream's absence...?

Dream hugs his legs "Why did you never bother to tell me?" Dream grows angry as he huffs "Why did you never bother to tell me the same? Or tell me when Nighty was near? Or tell nighty when I was near? What was it you were trying so hard to protect?!"

A memory. from so long long ago. It had been raining and Nightmare hadn't been around. Ligthning had been flashing and Dream had been so afraid. His mother had help him within her branches. protected him. reassured him he would be safe. told him...

told him that Dream just had to protect himself. protect the hope he represented...

Dream laughs as he kicks the grave of his mother. glaring at it angerly "Was it worth it?! Was it worth killing one of your sons to protect the other?! Was it worth being the cause of all this pain and suffering we both had to go through?!" Dream shakes his skull as he gets up "Nevermind. You are never going to give me answers... and honestly. I am tired of you being a part of my life in anyway. I hope you rot whereever you are now." and he walks back to the forest.

It is silent and he prefers it like that. Things had been loud and hectic.

And well...

Maybe just maybe... He had done the same as Nightamre had done.

He gets to the forest lake and immediantly spots the tiny grave.

Well not grave. Dream shies away from that word. Nightmare is very much alive after all. It is more like a memorial... Wait those can be made for living people right? drema thinks so.

It was nice. It gave him a safe place to grieve and talk about everything. to imagine Nightmare across from him and listening to him. Like old times.

Dream figures that is why his own grave nad Nim's are still up. Dream knows Nightmare has to come by to take care of both graves and Dream snorts as he imagines Nightmare just telling the two graves in all the things they had been wrong in and all the stupid lies they believed.

For now he sits down and pulls out a few little knick-knacks he had collected form across the multiverse.

Dream keeps his voice quiet. Afraid someone will hear and come ruin it "Hey little brother..." he can't forget anymore that Nightmare had been his younger twin. Yet it had always been Nightmare who took care of him. "I am back..."

finally back.

Dream traces the stone and wood structure he had made. all still in perfect condition. With the AU being dead there was no more decay.

Dream organises everything he had left before sitting across from it "Sorry it took me a while. I had a.... I had an identity crisis." he snorts "I know. ironic isn't it? Everyone was always so quick to help and guide me to be what i should be yet it helped nothing. I still ended up unsure about who i was or what i had to do..."

he looks at the snowglobe he had put down "I was always jealous of how you just seemed to have it all figured out. How you were confident in what you did. Both before and after the apples. it felt like i was failing, and i guess in the end i did fail as everything i believed had been a lie..."

Dream sighs as he leans his cheek on his knee as he keeps looking at the structure "It is stupid... I had all the help in the world, and then even the multiverse. and yet still i didn't figure it out. I still didn't figure out i was a god of balance over positivity. I still didn't figure out i was doing more harm than good..."

Dream traces the grey grass under him "I was so against picking a domain Nighty... partly because i didn't want to pick something and get you stuck with something you would be hated for. Not again... but that wasn't all."

Dream hugs his legs and confesses what had been weighing him down "I was afraid of picking wrong. No, I am afraid of picking soemthing wrong. That i will pick something and once again not understand it... How did you do it Nightmare? How did you figure out what you were suposed to do? You didn't have help yet you understood...."

Drema chuckles and rubs his cheek "Not that it matters anymore. aparently i did already pick... Reaper confirmed it for me not too long ago... a god of progress. What the hell does that even mean? What does it mean i should do? I know i aparently helped blue by inspiring him to get out of that loop but still! That was on accident! what if i once again go to far?! what if i..." he hides his face "What if i mess up again?"

Guilt and Dream chuckles "Here i go again... whining about my trouble... I don't even know what my choice and pick do you... what is even the oposite of progress?! regression? Did i make it so you are stuck with like... reset stuff?!" he sighs as he rubs his cheek and rubs the tears away "This shit is so unfair... neither of us ever asked for this. We never wanted this and no one tried to help us before yet expected us to just know."

Dream stares at the memorial. no answers of course but he does feel better after speaking about his worries.

Dream chuckles as he pats the memorial gently "But.... that wasn't why i am here. As you know... today is a special day!" he turns to his pack and pulls out a bottle. it is champagne. and a few cupcakes. he lays the cupcakes between him and the structure before putting a candle on both cupcakes and lighting them.

Dream smiles as he opens the bottle and holds it up to the grave "It is our birthday!"

Dream rubs his neck "I know it must seem weird. after all! For the last i don't even know how many years i had so many people to celebrate with and so many powers and even before that it were the villagers but... well..."

his voice grows softer and softer "I miss when it was just us. After we collected berries and fresh fruits. when we would sneak off together and sit by the river to eat the fruits together and give each other small gifts..." he pulls a small wooden statue from his pack.

Dream looks at it and rubs the wood. He had spend weeks on it. an old familiar skill now unfamiliar and feeling alien in his hands. he managed to make a small owl at least. even if one eye was clearly bigger than the other and Dream now had more splinters in his hands then ever before, even more than he first started.

He places it carefully in front of the memorial "I know it... it isn't my best work... I am going to be honest, it is porbably my worst..." he just hadn't had time to try again. He tried so many times but none of them have looked right and as time went by it just kept getting worse and suddenly he didn't have time anymore.

Dream chuckles "It sucks that i.... i didn't keep up with the hobby... I hope you kept reading at least... that you had the chance to keep reading... your picture and castle seemed to reinforce this at least... there were so many books in there! and the picture of you reading..." he rubs his arm as he keeps sitting right there "I am sorry... that you felt like he had to leave and run from your home... again..." he glances down adn chuckles "look at me... rambling... lets blow out the candles okay? I will blow out both. Don't forget to make a wish."

Drema leans down and blows out the candles on both cupcakes before putting his hands together and making his wish.

A silent whisper in his mind.

please.

please.

Just give him the chance to meet Nightmare again.

To talk to him one more time.

If only once to tell him he is sorry and that Dream loves him.

Dream opens his sockets and smiles at the grave, ignoring the tears that are leaving his sockets "Did you make a wish nightmare? Remember. No telling! otherwise it wont come true!"

Dream takes the two cupcakes and eats both before opening the champagne bottle and drinking straight from it. He isn't a fan of stuff like this but champagne is suposed to be for celebrations and well... celebrating himself and his twin seems like a good reason.

He spends his afternoon like that. just being in his old AU thinking back.

Fitting. a god of progress... stuck thinking about the past.

Dream chuckles and sighs "Blue said it is fine you know? To take time and get used to everything... I just hope... that you are doing the same... taking your time to rest after everything. I can only imagine how exhausting it would ahve been to have to do everything you did while everyone was actively working against you..." he smiles up "Good news for that though! I managed to visit pretty much everyone who knew either of us personally or about us! And i managed to explain the situation! so.. hopefully... whever you are or are planning on going, people will let you be and do your thing..."

Dream smiles at the memorial with the raised bottle "to us. to the future... and... I miss you... I am sorry i didn't make it obvious how much you mean to me..."

That had to be the reason why Nightmare hadn't searched him out yet... because he beleived that Dream hated him.

And that is on Dream. On dream for not doing a good job as brother and making it obvious that he loved his twin.

Dream hums as he leans against the stone structure "I love you nighty. And I promise you, I will make it up to you once we meet again."

Maybe that is why he is the god of progress. Because he is willing to move forwards and make it up. progress towards a new future.

Dream blinks and laughs "I bet you would have heard my title and figured it out immediantly." he giggles as he leans against the stone "Happy birthday Nightmare."

Happy birthday to me.

Dream sips the expensive bottle and enjoys the peace and silence.

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[asharinhun]

Unshackled - Part II.

It was a long day - or maybe even days, she had no idea how long she was trapped in the nightmarish realm of Thros before her miraculous escape - and Brigitte was so tired. Of everything.

Once the entrance to the bandit cave she currently occupied was sealed up by the thick, thorny roots and bushes called upon by her magic, the thornspeaker apprentice sighed. Tugging her new coat tighter, she crumpled onto the makeshift bed and went through the recent events in her mind.

The former occupants of the place would give no trouble to anyone in the future, Brigitte made sure of that. It was adequate payment for kidnapping her in her sleep after she got out of the Blighted Lands. She wasn’t the first young woman they took to be sold as slaves, but she was the last. What’s more, they wanted to kill her once their ‘merchandise’ was not as helpless once awake as they first thought. Scum like that, they deserved their due after so many ruined lives.

It was just the latest occasion people tried to get advantage at her expense. Snide remarks, cold comments, terrible jokes and every physical insult she received in her life so far - Brigitte was tired of them, had enough.

“From now, people can say what they want, I don’t care, not anymore. I’ve endured every abuse in silence all this time, but it still got to me. That ends now. And if someone attacks me I won’t just defend passively. They need a lesson, and if they chose me to be the one to carve it into them, so be it.” Bri muttered, eyeing the wood-like talons of what passed as her left hand now. It didn’t feel natural - it never will - but she could move it almost as well as the original, the discomfort she’d just need to get used to. A permanent reminder of the drust, and the price of her past.

“Teacher Kellan is ought to be happy. The so-called shackles keeping me from a part of my powers are gone. And I remember everything now.” Saying the words aloud helped to focus, some of it still felt unreal even now. How her  mother and a few others in the village wanted power, how their attempt to animate a large wicker construct failed. The screams as it turned on them and then on the rest of Greybarrow. The village was wiped out almost completely, with Brigitte being one of the few survivors. All thanks to a brave father, who managed to buy enough time for his wounded daughter to escape by setting the thing on fire, along with himself.

“Dad...” These were painful memories, ones that Bri’s mind shut away before, but now that she had them again, the druid swore never to forget them, especially her father’s sacrifice.

"I know the whole tragedy was mother and her cohort’s fault... but to think it would be her silver brooch that saves me now. Ironic.” It was a family heirloom if her mother could be believed, Bri got it for one of her birthdays. According to ‘that woman’ who found her in the forest after the incident, Brigitte was holding onto it tightly when she was found and kept it on her person hidden under her clothes ever since. As if it still had a purpose to fulfill. Maybe it did, maybe she was thinking too much into it. It didn’t matter anymore, it was lost forever, enabling the young woman to return to Azeroth.

“Gorak Farana... I must warn Teacher Kellan about her.” Brigitte’s time in the Blighted Lands was worse than anything she experienced before. Being forced to confront her nightmares - her memories; fleeing in fear from drust spirits; getting cornered, wounded and maimed. Recalling that made her shudder, losing her left hand to one of those dreadful axes. Her wounds aching and holding her bleeding stump tightly, she thought she was about to die. She would have, if not for a sudden call that made the drust stop. It was then that she first beheld the witch. The sorceress was imposing in the way your worst fear can be, and powerful.

“That twisted power... and I carry a piece of it for the rest of my life.” The thornspeaker apprentice was the perfect tool that would let Gorak Farana finally leave Thros. With the veil shattered, the witch could directly open a portal to Drustvar through Brigitte’s connection to the place. Bri’s luck was that the drust woman wanted to use the kul tiran as her vessel to cross over to Azeroth in the flesh, but she could not allow the host body to be defective.

Growing a new hand using drust magic and the environment wasn’t something Brigitte thought possible, but the sorceress could and did. Only, it would take some time for the restoration to finish and feel natural, and Gorak Farana would only take over once the process was complete. The witch started working on the portal when she deemed the regrowth was around halfway done - this confused the druid, why couldn’t the drust woman simply do it once she was in possession of the body? The only possibility Bri could think of was that Farana wouldn’t be able to use her powers for a time while adjusting to the new body, and if another powerful drust spirit got word of a living human in her clutches, the witch’s plan would be in jeopardy. It was a desperate hope, but the only one Bri had and she had to act on it. She would be dead either way if it didn’t work.

The moment the portal was open, the thornspeaker apprentice called upon her druidic powers to remove her bindings - not caring that the new, taloned hand still felt unnatural with the process interrupted - and ran at the witch. The drust’s surprise only lasted for a moment, but it was enough for Brigitte to stab the silver brooch into one of Farana’s eyes and jump through the gaping black maw of the portal, accompanied by the witch’s painful and angry shriek. The sorceress desperately tried to close the gap between realms to prevent the escape of her vessel, but Bri was already through, only a part of her long braid was cut off. She could live with that. Brigitte exhaled in relief to be back on Azeroth, only to pass out soon after from exhaustion in the relative safety of a hollow between the roots of a tree... a pity the outlaws used it as well.

“The Tidemother was really with me this time. First Thros, then the bandits and I’m still alive despite all that. The threat of Gorak Farana remains, but I’ll pass that headache over to Teacher Kellan and the High Thornspeaker. That bitch Khendra however... she will pay for tricking me and sending me to Thros. Somehow I will make her pay.” Anger creeped into her voice at the thought of the Thornspeaker woman and - if she could see it - a blackish-blue light flickered briefly into existence in the empty socket behind the closed lids of her left eye, but it vanished instantly. Suddenly a huge yawn escaped her lips. ”But that’s a problem for tomorrow.”

Brigitte snuggled into her coat and closed her eye. She fell asleep quickly and for the first time in years, she slept soundly with no nightmare to trouble her dreams.

[yodawgiherd]

You Were Never Truly Gone ch.7

>>>Read on AO3<<<

Slowly but surely, we move towards Hizuru... And the end.

“No”

Kiyomi took a step back, her eyes the widest Mikasa had ever seen.

“No…”

Ignorant to her pleadings Eren took a step forward, closing the distance.

“No, no, no…”

It was a mantra falling from the older woman’s lips, repeated over and over in hopes that it will rewrite the reality, change what she was seeing. The man that destroyed her home country – nay, the whole world, the man that she feared more than death itself, the man that was the sole reason why getting Mikasa to move was difficult, the man who was dead and the whole world celebrated the fact.

The usurper, the devil, her worst nightmare.

Even with the sorry excuse for a beard and new haircut it was undeniably him, Kiyomi would recognize those eyes anywhere. Sure, they were missing the maniacal glint she remembered, but still. This was no Aaron, Mikasa’s friend – this was Eren Yeager.

With every step he took towards her, Kiyomi took one backward until her back hit the ship’s railing. Looking back, she briefly considered jumping over it in hopes to escape him, yet her mind quickly debunked such a coward’s exit. Whatever this was, Kiyomi Azumabito would overcome it, she came this far. Fingers clutching at the metal, she pulled in some air through her tightly wound throat, ready to call for help, for her soldiers to come and immediately kill this monster in human form, but the words never left her mouth.

Because Mikasa spoke first.

“I don’t know if I have to say it - if anything happens to Eren our deal is off. Immediately.”

Kiyomi, too shocked to speak, looked at her, seeing that Mikasa was completely serious. Her eyes were ice itself when she continued, unphased.

“If you harm him, I swear that I will kill you myself before leaving forever – I don’t care in the slightest about what happens to the world with me gone. The Yeagerists can burn Paradis, the war can consume it, Hizuru can devour itself in its never-ending power struggle.”

Sweat, cold sweat was trickling down Kiyomi’s forehead as her mind weighed the pros and cons.

“You don’t have to worry, I’m a normal human now.”, Eren extended a palm towards her almost like a peace offering, “should I cut myself to prove it?”

“Don’t insult me, I’m not that stupid,” Kiyomi scoffed, “I know that you shifters can hold off the healing if you want to.”

“That is true, but he’s not lying.”, Mikasa stepped in, “Everyone lost their powers after the rumbling, you know that much, so why should Eren keep his?”

“Because he is supposed to be dead?!”, Kiyomi hissed, “His head being cut off is what even enabled any peace talks in the first place, he can’t just resurrect and….”

“That’s the thing – I didn’t.”, Eren spoke up, “Eren Yeager is truly dead, gone forever. Right now I’m Aaron, Mikasa’s friend and someone you never met in your life.”

His eyes were staring into Kiyomi’s now, and damn his gaze was intense.

“You are afraid and for a good reason, but there is nothing to fear from me anymore. I’m just a guy, and what can one man do in a country that practically belongs to you? I can’t re-start the rumbling simply because I wish it so, there are no more titans left anywhere in this world.”

Her throat dry, Kiyomi managed to croak an answer.

“No powers then?”

He shook his head.

“None.”

The facts were doing a small dance in Kiyomi’s head, turning left and right as she stared at them from all angles. If he had no powers, why tell her? Wouldn’t it be better for him if Eren kept her in suspense? Let her believe that he was still the titan, to blackmail her, scare her?

Then again….

All titans did disappear, so he was probably saying the truth. Kiyomi didn’t understand why he would ever give up such a weapon willingly, but she was not the one to question her fortune – it meant that she was dealing with Eren Yeager the man, not Eren Yeager the founding titan.

Bah, so what – Mikasa was the one she wanted, not him. Looking at the pair, seeing them together it brought back the unfortunate fact the Ackerman girl told her back during their negotiations.

“So… this means that you two are lovers?”

It was funny, seeing the literal devil and the world’s strongest soldier exchange a shy blushing look, yet in her current mental state Kiyomi couldn’t fully appreciate the sight.

“Yes.”, Mikasa reached out, intertwining her fingers with Eren’s, “ We are.”

The old woman always had a suspicion that something is going on between the two of them, ever since she first came to the island, and a part of her was scared that the “maiden” she was supposed to deliver back home was tainted already. Well, it did happen, although much later than she thought.

No matter.

She didn’t need a blushing virgin to present to the ruling council, she had this-  a strong soldier, a beautiful woman, a hero to most of the world, and most importantly an unquestionable Shogun’s descendant. Deflowered of her innocence, sure, but that was nothing compared to the blood in her veins. Through her, the royal line would be restored and Hizuru would once more have a symbol to unite behind, a thing they sorely needed in these trying times following the rumbling.

Now with finality, Kiyomi was fully considering her options.

She could call for help and have Eren killed, heavens know that he deserved it. If he was a normal human, as he claimed, he would die without any issues. After that, she would order her guards to capture Mikasa and lock her up.

What then?

Would she present the blood of the Shogun in chains? Kiyomi couldn’t say that she truly knew Mikasa Ackerman, still there were things she did know – for example, the old woman was sure that Mikasa would never forgive her. There would be no peaceful wedding, and god forbid any wedding night. Sure, they could drug her, or maybe try to persuade her but Mikasa had a will of steel. She would most likely kill her new husband, escape her cell and then come for Kiyomi.

Scary thought, it made the old woman shiver.

If not that….

She could have Eren captured and use him as a bargaining chip with Mikasa. Force her into the marriage under threats of torture or death to her lover, use their bond against her. The problem would still be present – Mikasa wasn’t the forgiving kind. She would probably wait years until Kiyomi dropped her guard or until she gained enough influence to overthrow the old woman. Then she would free Eren and there would be a slow death waiting for her, deep under the royal palace with nothing but the dark corners to hear her scream.

Ok, not that either.

Kiyomi had to remind herself that neither of these options was even guaranteed to play out as she envisioned it to. Maybe Eren didn’t have powers anymore, but he was still an ex-soldier, an elite one too, and Mikasa was an Ackerman and a literal goddess on the battlefield. There was always the possibility that they would overpower the guards and escape together, never to be seen again.

Returning home empty-handed, now that was something Kiyomi didn’t want to happen.

Which left her with the last option.

Go along with it. Let Eren hide in Hizuru, let Mikasa have him as a secret partner. The city was Kiyomi’s playground, she had more than enough resources to make sure her conditions were met. And as long as Mikasa produced the Shogun’s heir, then why couldn’t she have some happiness in her life too? If she was happy, then she would be obedient, and wasn’t that everything the old woman wanted?

What was there to lose?

Kiyomi hated it, hated this opinion because it meant letting Eren live and be with the woman he loved. She hated it - he didn’t deserve it, he was a monster and death was his rightful punishment. She hated it because it was the most logical route, one that yielded the highest chance of success.

The things she does for her country….

“Very well,”, Kiyomi said out loud, addressing Mikasa “As long as you uphold the limitations we talked about, I will not try to take him from you.”

Steeling herself, she took a step forward and jabbed a finger into Eren’s chest. Please don’t tremble.

“You will behave, or I will have you imprisoned on a moment’s notice. It’s no secret that I would prefer you dead, but since lady Mikasa has ties to you for some reason, that option is off the table.”, she jabbed him again with added strength, “If you step out of line, I will have you punished. Understand?”

For some reason, her threatening tactics didn’t seem to reach Eren, who simply stood there with a completely blank expression on his bearded face.

“Yes, I do.”

Fine. In the end it truly didn’t matter as Kiyomi had nothing to gain from exposing Eren Yeager to the world. Having him killed for the second time would do nothing for the stability in her country, she needed Mikasa for that and she needed her compliant. If that meant hiding the world’s worst enemy…

So be it.

“Then nothing changes in the original plan.”, her eyes found the Ackerman’s gaze, “Does it, lady Mikasa?”

The raven shrugged.

“No, everything is as it was.”

“Very good. I would ask that you give me some space, I do agree to let you live but I don’t want to see you right now, Yeager.”

Taking a step back, he had the audacity to give her a shallow, perhaps mocking, bow.

“As you wish, lady Azumabito.”

Together with Mikasa they disappeared back towards the cabin the Ackerman girl had for herself, leaving Kiyomi with nothing, only her thoughts. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she looked back towards the ocean with the mind swimming.

She really craved a smoke right now.

Eren and Mikasa didn’t talk until they were in the privacy of her chambers, quite a luxurious cabin that was much better than the cargo hold. Once there, Eren tugged on her hand and pulled Mikasa into an embrace, whispering only for her to hear.

“You are quite the actor.”

“Oh please, you are the one to talk – those slow steps you took towards Kiyomi?,”, she snorted, ”Terrifying.”

“You said that you wouldn’t care about what happened to the world. You, who saved it and would do anything to keep the peace.”

“Well, the most important thing is that it worked, my plan is going along swimmingly.”

“Indeed, you are a genius Miki, but I have to remind you that we are not out of the woods yet.”

“I know. It’s no use to worry about that now, let’s take it one step at a time, shall we?”

Humming in agreement, Eren’s eyes traveled all around the room until they landed on Mikasa’s big bed, the covers adorned by the crest of her clan. A new idea forming in his mind, he grinned before getting her attention with a quick kiss.

“Wanna piss Kiyomi off?”

“What do you mean?”, following his gaze, Mikasa saw that Eren was looking at the bed, a smile on his face.

“We could let her know just how much we love each other….”

Oh, she liked that train of thought.

“Do go on…”

The night was falling, the ship being oddly empty when Kiyomi walked the corridors. There were a few guards who saluted her, sailors who quickly got out of her way as if sensing the dark thoughts. The cloud was still hanging over her head and she couldn’t stop thinking about what happened, how it jumbled her whole plan.

Eren Yeager was alive. Eren Yeager was alive. Eren Yeager was al…

A frown appeared on her face when she saw a soldier leaning on the railing with a lit cigarette in his hand, an uneasy expression creasing his features. She knew the man, and he was not supposed to be smoking but on duty.

“Captain!”, she called out, “Aren’t you guarding lady Mikasa’s cabin?”

The soldier went white in the face as he quickly saluted, the butt of the cigarette hastily thrown the ocean.

“Yes ma’am! However, there were certain…” he gulped, “circumstances that made me take a small break.”

Kiyomi’s brows furrowed. What was he talking about? What was Mikasa doing?

“Such as?”

“I... I mean… I wouldn’t…”, the man was sweating profusely, babbling like a baby and Kiyomi was running out of patience.

Especially after being traumatized by god damn Eren Yeager today, she wasn’t in the mood for games or tight-lipped subordinates.

“Speak!”, she barked, “Or I will have you on shit shoveling duty for a year after we get back to Hizuru.”

“W-Well La-lady Mikasa and her f-friend are.. engaged in… you know….”

“What? What are you…”, and just then it dawned on Kiyomi, the blush, and impaired speech, the way he avoided her eyes. It fell on her like a rock, and she asked in a voice that mirrored how she felt.

“Are they having sex?”

The soldier clicked his heels together as he straightened into an absurdly perfect salute.

“Yes ma’am! Very loudly ma’am! I felt like I was intruding, so I gave them some privacy ma’am!”

Oh…

That was about everything Kiyomi could handle today. Walking over to the soldier she extended her hand and luckily he understood the gesture, quickly giving her a cigarette and lighting it for her. Leaning on the railing next to the flabbergasted man, she smoked in silence, staring into the darkness.

Underneath them, the boat silently carried this whole circus towards Hizuru.

Kiyomi smoked one, two, three cigarettes before calling it a day and retreating to her cabin, only to discover that another unpleasantry awaited her there.

Apparently, being an Ackerman and a former titan shifter gives you some insane endurance. Unfortunately for her, Kiyomi’s cabin was located right next to Mikasa’s and she could very clearly hear just how much the pair were still enjoying themselves. To make matters worse, it went on for hours and the old woman couldn’t rest because of it, despite being exhausted and mentally drained.

Instead of peaceful sleep she stared at the darkened ceiling, listening to the moans, giggles, groans, screams, and muffled conversation between the future Shogun’s wife and the cursed island devil.

This was purgatory for all her past sins, must have been, and Kiyomi felt her eye twitch in irritation. How much damn stamina did those two have? Would they ever get tired of this? Would Kiyomi be allowed to sleep tonight or would her whole night be spent like this, stuck in limbo with nothing but a rhythmic banging of the headboard against the wall accompanied by the bed creaking and the telltale sounds Mikasa was making.

Didn’t help that the name she was moaning was of the man Kiyomi despised - It would seem that Eren stopped being Aaron in the heat of passion.

Just as she was about to bang on the wall, damn her dignity, they finally stopped, growing silent.

“You think she heard us?”, Mikasa muttered, exhausted beyond belief.

“She had to,”, Eren grumbled, in no better shape himself, “You were so loud that I’m pretty sure the whole ship knew what we were doing.”

If she wasn’t totally flushed already, that statement would make her blush.

“That was kind of the point.”

“It was nice of you though.”

“What do you mean?”

“Now Yams knows what’s up, despite not being able to see us.”

Gasping, Mikasa slapped Eren’s chest and he laughed and nuzzled her sweaty hair. They were both like that, dirty, and overall quite disgusting. Like that mattered, considering the paradise they took each other to.

“C’mon, we should get cleaned up.”

“Should change the bedding too…”

“Why? Have someone else do it,”, gently, Eren traced the curve of Mikasa’s spine with careful fingers, counting the bumps, “You are a princess, you should get used to having people clean up your mess.”

“You know that I’m not like that….”

“I do, but why not abuse your status a little.”

Her eyes narrowed as she watched him, not missing the spark of laughter in his face.

“You’re evil.”

“Of course, I am the island devil after all.”

Giggling, Mikasa angled her head and waited until Eren got the hint, giving her a tired and slow kiss.

“You know, what?”, she murmured against his lips, “You’re right, let them clean it.”

The laugh that bubbled from Eren’s chest was addicting to listen to.

“See? You are finally learning, your highness.”

“Shut up.”

“As you command, my queen.”

“Eren…”

“Yes, my lady?”

She groaned, hiding her face in his neck yet Eren wouldn’t let her rest, kissing all of her skin he could reach with tiny pecks. Maybe it was the kisses, maybe it was the way he held her, maybe it was because they were both naked and Mikasa did like what he was packing. Whatever the reason, the embers she thought exhausted smoldered deep in her belly.

“Babe?”, she drawled, immediately getting his attention because Eren knew that voice she used.

It was the sensual one that sent shivers down his spine whenever the raven spoke.

“Do you think that Kiyomi finally fell asleep?”, she asked.

“I guess? Maybe? Why do you ask?”

“Well…”, with a quick move she straddled him again, reclaiming her rightful position on top.

Seated as she was, Mikasa reached blindly between her legs to touch his length, finding it half-hard already – such power her bedroom voice had over Eren’s body. To be honest, she did like that control. Mikasa leaned down until her nipples brushed Eren’s chest and her lips were practically touching his, rubbing together when she spoke.

“Let’s wake her up then.”