Coming for your heart

Chapter 12

Mikasa POV

She was sitting on the ground, some kind of strange brush in her hands. The raven-haired girl was scrubbing the ground with gritted teeth.

Of course she knew how to clean and how to do the simplest of chores. After all her brother wasn't all that excited about housework and leaving her new mother alone with all of it was impossible for her to do.

She didn't blame Eren. She knew that he would do it just as reliable as she did if his head wasn't somewhere else at all times. Even now, with their mission as a reason, she could hear him grumbling next to her.

"Doing something like that for that old sucker..."

"Eren, stop complaining. You know it is necessary.", she tried to reason with him just as she had always done those last weeks they had stayed in the palace.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it. Where is Armin? Isn't he supposed to help us?"

"He was called over by the gardener."

Eren looked up from his work, letting go of the utensils in his red hands. They weren't used to the lasting contact to cleaning supplies like those offered to them by some friendly servants they had met shortly after arriving in the palace.

Frowning he opened his mouth to ask his sister something when they were interrupted by a guard, that was walking by.

"You aren't here to chatter. Stop talking and start working.", the grumpy man groused and Mikasa only had to glance a second at her brother to know that he was short of exploding like the temperamental person he was so she stood up, hiding him behind her frame and bowed to the guard.

"I am very sorry. I was the one who asked him for cleaning supplies, he isn't at fault."

Mikasa lowered her head and hid the triumphant smirk when she noticed the faint blush on the man's cheeks.

"Yeah, yeah...whatever." The guard left them alone and Mikasa sighed in relief. Her face as stern as her voice she turned around to face her brother who she knew would protest against her trying to protect him once more.

"Eren, stop being childish. We can't afford drawing any attention on us if it isn't our will to do so."

He was so young. So innocent. Not touched by the darkness yet.

He met her hard eyes with unyielding anger but also a hint of understanding. His proud and stubborn nature held him back from apologizing or even loudly acknowledging his mistakes but Mikasa saw the shame burning under his tanned skin.

He hated being chastised by her. But she was the older one. It was her job to protect the brother who had once protected her. She owed him so much.

She hadn't protected Carla. She wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

"Guys!" Armin ran up to them, his clothes just as simple as theirs – oh, they had tried to force her to wear a skirt but she wouldn't be caught dead in one if she could help it somehow – and his grin so bright she couldn't help the little smile that tugged at her lips.

"You are back.", she greeted her friend warmly. He was smaller than them. His height hid the intelligent mind behind his innocent, wide eyes and the mop of unruly hair. It's color resembled the shining sun that had left them for the day, leaving only dark clouds and rain behind that was pattering on the pavement outside the small corridor they worked in.

Statues of strange creatures and people lined up on the wall and the marble floor was frigid cold underneath their legs. Mikasa had sat down on the scarf Eren had given her that day in the woods which made the whole experience a bit more bearable.