Our Hearts Beat For Each other:

Man! I am so psyched about the feedback for this story. Thanks everyone! I always find it entertaining to read all of your reviews. Please don't stop!

Here's the next chapter, with more romance and less angst.

A lot of T rated stuff here. Kids, no peeking!

Chapter-3:

The Truth

And suddenly, Eren felt a powerful grip on his hands. A grip which was so strong, it hurt.

He looked down into the eyes of Mikasa Ackerman, who was now awake.

"Eren.." She whispered, her brows furrowed."...what are you doing?"

Eren suddenly noticed a lot of things.

The first was the most obvious. His sister was awake.

Secondly, his sister was staring at him as if he'd done something weird, which indeed he had.

Third, he was on top of his sister, both legs on either side of her.

When Eren noticed this, he immediately let out a strangled yelp and fell off the bed, smacking his head.

Mikasa sat up, alarmed.

"Eren! Are you alright!"

"Y-Yeah I'm fine!" Eren stuttered. He cursed himself. How could he have been so careless? And why hadn't he noticed that he'd been sitting on top of her like that? Man, he wanted to smack his face.

Mikasa tried to stand up, but Eren grabbed her arm.

"It's alright." He whispered. "I'm fine."

For a second, Mikasa seemed ok. Then her eyes welled with tears. She scooted away from Eren to the other side of the bed.

Eren sighed. She'd probably remembered what he'd said to her before.

He winced. He was such a monster.

"I'm sorry..." Mikasa sniffed.

Eren frowned.

"You're sorry?"

Mikasa nodded. "I'm always slowing you down... Always getting in your way..."

Eren felt guilt flood into his heart. After all that he'd done, she was blaming herself?

"Mikasa..."

"I- I just want to p-protect you, E-Eren." She sobbed. "But you won't let me..."

"Mikasa.. It's not your-"

"Sometimes, I wish I was never born. That way I'd never have caused you any trouble."

Eren's heart was growing heavier and heavier. He couldn't hear anymore.

"Mikasa!" He said firmly.

Mikasa stared at him blankly. "What?"

Eren stood up and grabbed the towel.

"Turn around."

Mikasa blinked.

"I said turn around." Eren repeated.

Mikasa looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding.

She turned around, curious to know what he was planning to do.

She stared at the wall, a slight scowl on her face.

'Did I do something to upset him again?"

The next moment, Eren had thrown the towel above her head and was rubbing furiously.

Mikasa was stunned for a second, too disoriented to react. What was he trying to do?

Eren yanked the towel away and Mikasa's hair fell back in a disheveled mess over her face.

She stood there for a moment, staring at him.

Then it hit her.

"Eren... were you drying my hair?"

Eren grinned broadly. "Yep."

His face turned serious.

"After all..." He muttered darkly "You thought it was a good idea to soak yourself in the rain in a place where no one could find you..."

Mikasa blushed.

She gazed at those warm green eyes.

Then something else crept into her mind.

"Eren, how did I get here?"

Eren didn't respond.

"Eren...are you listening?"

Eren perked up.

"Oh... by the way" He announced. "We've got combat practice in the morning tomorrow."

Mikasa frowned at him. "I know. I was the one who told you."

Eren blinked. "Oh..yeah." He turned around and fiddled with his shirt.

And at that moment, Mikasa realized what had happened. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink.

"E-Eren.. " She choked. "D-did you-"

"Yeah.." Eren sighed. "I did."

She felt her eyes grow wet, but not because she was sad. In fact, she was very happy. Eren had taken care of her. He'd carried her all the way here, and he'd even dried her hair for her. He'd been nice to her.

'When was the last time he had done something like that?'

'Well, it had to be sometime before they had joined the trainee squad.'

She smiled as she remembered those days. Eren would always be nice to her. He'd sneak up to her bed and stay with her during the night so that she wouldn't feel lonely. And it really helped. It made her feel like she was needed.

Why had it stopped? Why had it changed?

Mikasa's feelings for Eren had only grown in intensity since then. She'd become more and more attached to him, and he'd become more distant from her.

"Eren.." She whispered. "You didn't have to do all of that."

Eren chuckled nervously. "Of course I had to! We're brother and sister after all!"

Mikasa's heart sank. Did he really feel that way?

"..or maybe not... " Eren corrected himself.

Mikasa frowned. She didn't know if this was good news or bad news. She wondered why Eren was so... different today.

Eren cleared his throat.

"Ahem.." He announced. "You're looking pretty tired today...so just sit back and relax. I'll take care of everything else."

Mikasa felt bile rise in her throat.

"No..." She said firmly. "I'm fine. I can take care of everything. You should return to your room and sleep."

Eren bowed his head down, his hair drooping over his eyes.

For a moment, he didn't say anything.

Then he sighed.

"Are you so eager to kick me out of your room, Mikasa?"

Mikasa was stunned. He wanted to stay with her? Why? Didn't he hate her for what she had done to him.

"Besides..." Eren continued. "Y-you've hurt your arm pretty bad. You'll find it difficult to use it."

Mikasa frowned. It wasn't like Eren to make lame excuses about something like this.

She stared at the knuckles of her right hand and her eyes widened. Someone had wrapped a green cloth around them.

She turned to Eren and noticed that his cape looked like someone had torn a chunk out of it.

'Eren...'

Her heart warmed to him. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to embrace him so bad, it hurt.

He wasn't the one who was moving away from her. She had been moving away from him.

She'd never accepted his help when he'd offered. She had always tried her best to solve matters on her own.

Only now, Mikasa understood the truth.

She hadn't just fooled the others into thinking that she was an empty shell. She'd fooled herself too.

Mikasa wanted someone to help her. Eren wanted to protect her. Then why weren't things working out?

She watched Eren pull her boots off and drop them to the floor. And it made her blush even harder. When she looked at him, she noticed that he was red in the face as well.

She stared at him in awe.

"That feels better, doesn't it?" Eren asked her.

Mikasa nodded, a bit shy. It did feel a bit better without those stuffy boots.

She lay down in her bed, thoughts racing through her head.

He pulled a blanket over her. She gripped the covers, thankful for the warmth.

'What's gotten into Eren?' She wondered.

He was being too nice to her. It wasn't normal. And now, she was really concerned about him.

She watched him pace across the room restlessly, hugging himself.

He was shivering.

She stared at him.

"Eren... you're feeling cold too, right? Get in."

Eren shook his head, giving her a nervous smile.

"N-no! Of course not!"

Mikasa frowned at him. "Why not? You used to do it when we were younger..."

"But, we're not kids anymore. What will the others think?"

Mikasa smiled at him warmly.

"Eren.." She said. "You don't need to worry about the others. To me, you'll always be that brave, kind boy who'd make me feel safe even when I had those horrible nightmares. I'll never think of you as anyone else."

Eren glared at her and Mikasa could swear that she saw something weird in his eyes. Something like pain.

Eren turned and placed his hand against the wall. He was breathing heavily. Mikasa could see his shoulders vacillating, moving up and down.

Then, he pulled his head back and smashed into the wall.

Eren felt his head throbbing, but he relished the pain. It helped him ignore the piercing feeling he had in his chest.

She really thought of him like that? She still thought of him as the guy who had saved her that day?

Eren couldn't bear it anymore. There was so much he owed Mikasa. He wanted to tell her the truth. He wanted to tell her that he was grateful that she was by his side. But he didn't know how.

The ringing in his ears drowned out Mikasa's cries of dismay and her anxious inquiries about him being alright.

He slid to the ground, forehead resting against the wall.

Slowly, he turned around and looked up. Mikasa was staring down at him, her eyes shimmering with tears.

"W-why are y-you hurting yourself, Eren?" She sobbed. "It won't make me feel better."

Eren gazed at her. Her face was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Mikasa, I'm sorry..." He whispered.

Mikasa looked at him blankly.

"What for?"

"For everything." Eren replied.

For a second, she held his gaze. Then she stepped forward, and brought his head to her waist, embracing him.

"Eren... it's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself."

Eren paused for a second, then chuckled. "You too."

Mikasa blinked. "Me?"

Eren smiled at her. "Yeah. The two of us need to stop worrying about the past and focus on the future."

Mikasa held him even closer. She smelled like his mom. Eren felt his eyes grow wet.

All of that had been taken from him. His parents, his friends, his life...

But he had to let it go. He had to stay alive for her sake.

"I-I don't think I understand..." She stuttered.

Eren inhaled and took in her scent once more.

"All I'm trying to say is.. maybe you should think about yourself sometimes."

A pause.

"Myself?"

Eren nodded. "I've been following my dreams till now, and I think I'd like to know yours. Is there something you've always wanted? Can I help you find it?"

Mikasa's arms tightened painfully around his head. Her breathing was erratic and Eren could feel her stomach contract,

"No..." She said at last.

Eren frowned. That wasn't right! There must be something which she really wants!

He took a deep breath.

"Mikasa.. It's alright. You can tell me..."

"There's nothing..." She insisted, tears seeping from the corners of her eyes.

Eren's eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure?"

Mikasa's grip on him grew even tighter, making Eren wince. He knew it wasn't her intention to hurt him, but her arms felt like iron clamps.

He was sure now, that something was seriously bothering her. It made sense. After all, how was it that the prodigy 'Mikasa Ackerman' was crying like a little girl in front of him?

He squinted at her.

"Mikasa, are you hiding things from me?"

Mikasa shook her head violently.

Eren was worried now. Mikasa had definitely lost her cool.

"Mikasa..." He croaked. "I want to help you. I really do..."

Mikasa didn't respond. Eren bit his lip in frustration. Why was she acting like this. He'd never thought that she'd keep secrets from him.

"Mikasa...please..." He begged her.

Mikasa was trembling badly now.

"I-I can't."

"Why?"

"B-Because y-you might not l-like it."

Eren knew what he had to do. He had to give her confidence. He had to make sure that she understood that she could trust him.

"Mikasa, I won't get angry." He whispered to her.

Mikasa ran her hands through his hair.

She inhaled sharply, trying to calm down. Eren could almost hear the gears grinding in her head.

"Promise?"

Eren nodded. He'd do whatever he could to make sure that she was happy.

...

Mikasa's grip on Eren's head loosened. Slowly, She slid down to her knees so that their faces were level.

She had to do it. She had to tell him. It was now or never. If she kept her feelings inside her any longer, she would explode.

'But what if he doesn't feel that way?'

She had never hesitated in believing it when she was a child. But so much time had passed since then.

The seeds of doubt were first sowed in her mind when she'd seen him train with Annie.

Mikasa had secretly hated her from the start. And when Eren had started spending more time with her, things had only become worse.

The worst part was that Mikasa knew that she was a better fighter than Annie. She could have easily helped train Eren in her place.

But he'd obstinately refused, preferring to avoid her instead.

Mikasa had been in Eren's life ever since he'd saved her that night. And when the Titan's had attacked and Eren had lost his family, Mikasa had been forced to abandon her role as the one who admired him so much and take up the mantle of his overprotective parents.

What if he still thought of her like that? What if she was still like a mother to him? What if he was unwilling to accept her?

But she set her jaw firmly. Whatever be the case, She'd find out now. She was tired of hiding things from Eren. If he was happy, She'd be relieved of her burden. If he wasn't... then Mikasa's worst fears would be confirmed. Either way, she'd have to tell him.

Before she was torn apart from the inside.

...

Eren remained silent, unwilling to disturb Mikasa's thoughts.

He knew that she was on the edge and that all he needed was a bit of tweaking to make her spill the beans.

Then Mikasa looked at him again. This time, he could see a steely resolve in her black eyes.

"Close your eyes." She said.

Eren frowned. "But-"

"You said you would help me, wouldn't you?"

Eren bit his lip. How could closing his eyes possibly help her?

But somehow, he couldn't find the strength or energy to argue.

He obliged, shutting his eyes and drowning himself in darkness, leaving the rest upto his imagination to fill in.

He felt Mikasa move forward. She nibbled at his ear.

He heard her voice firm and clear.

"The thing I desire the most... is you, Eren."

Eren felt his heart beating faster and faster.

Something, incredibly soft and moist, moved across his skin and settled on his forehead. He could feel someone blowing gently at the bruise he'd gotten there when he banged his head into the wall. The thing caressed his forehead before sliding downwards, over his nose and it stopped at the tip, leaving a moist trail in it's wake.

Then it retracted a bit and he could feel it hovering a few inches above his lips. He could literally taste Mikasa's breath.

He imagined that she was hesitating, worrying about how he would react. But he knew that he wanted this. He wanted to be closer to her.

He brought his hands to her shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

He felt the softness grazing his lips. Tentatively at first, then once again, more firm this time.

Then Mikasa put a hand behind his head and pushed him towards her.

Eren's eyes shot open and he stared into her's. There was something about them which made them look tender and yet they burned with fiery passion.

Her lips were on his and there was nothing else in the world Eren was bothered about.

They stayed like that for a moment, then broke away reluctantly.

The two of them were breathing heavily.

Eren stared at Mikasa, a wondrous expression on his face. He brought his hand up to his lips where she'd kissed him.

"All this time, Mika..." He whispered.

Mikasa gave him a teary smile. "Always."

Eren's breathing was back to normal.

"But... But I never imagined..."

Mikasa shivered. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have done that. I-"

But Eren lurched forward, held her face in his hands and kissed her again.

He'd never imagined he'd ever feel something so amazing. He felt as if his whole body had been paralyzed. Why had he never realized it? The happiness he had been struggling to find so long was within his grasp. It had always been within his grasp.

He pulled back and used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her face.

"I feel the same way too.." He murmured.

And she smiled once again. And Eren felt happy.

"I always found it tough to accept it, you know.." He muttered. "How you seemed to be better than me in everything. And I think I know why... I think it was because I was afraid that I wasn't good enough for you. And even now, I still feel like that..."

He felt Mikasa's fingers dig deep into his arms.

"I don't care!" She hissed fiercely. "I don't care if you think like that!"

Eren was taken aback.

"Mikasa.."

"It's not about which one of us is better! Our hearts beat for each other, and that's all that matters!"

Eren felt as if a huge burden had been lifted of his shoulders.

He didn't have to push her away. He didn't have to be her hero. They were made this way. They didn't have to fight to stay together.

He watched Mikasa stroke his cheek. She was talking to him, but Eren wasn't listening. He simply focused on her tone.

Eren's thoughts were crystal clear. The Titans needed to be destroyed. They needed to recover Wall Maria. They needed to restore Humanity.

Their paths were filled with life-threatening hurdles. The two of them would constantly find themselves on the verge of death.

But they would survive.

Because they had too.

Eren was confident. He felt like he could do anything. Mikasa was his.

And nothing would stand between them.

But as Eren watched Mikasa, he suddenly felt dark voices whispering in his head.

Nothing but him.

Whew! I'm glad it's done. This was seriously giving me headaches. Well, what do you readers think?

Well, We'll be seeing more of Jean in the next chapter.

Till then, Adios!