A/N: I really wanted to explore the dynamic between Eren and his parents, and Mikasa's the perfect telescope through which to observe these interactions! I think from here, I'm going to turn "Balance" into a series of loosely-connected ficlets/drabbles centered on their Shiganshina Trio's childhood.

Mikasa

Remarks zipped back and forth between mother and son like opposing gunfire. Eyes flashed, fists clenched, and brows furrowed. Feet were stomped on the hardwood floor. A wooden ladle was slammed against the sink. Mikasa stood in the middle of it all, shifting her attention between one side of the court and the other. This rally seemed endless, each shot deflected back by a deft block.

"How many times do I need to tell you: stop picking fights, Eren!" Carla reached for a rag to wipe away a smudge of dried blood from the corner of her son's mouth, but Eren twisted away from her.

"I'm fine, Mom," he gritted out. "And how many times do I need to tell you: they started it. Armin was being—"

"Give me their names," Carla cut in, "and I'll have a chat with their parents. There is no reason for you to—"

"That won't teach them any lesson. They'll just keep coming back!"

"Have you even tried to listen to what I'm saying?"

As they continued to strike and parry, steam ceased to dance from the lentil soup, which Mikasa learned was Eren's most detested meal from a vocal complaint thrown into the argument. The bread bowl remained filled with four uneaten loaves, most likely hard and chewy rather than soft and fluffy.

"Mom, just let it go!" Eren snapped.

Before Carla could respond, the door swung open, letting into heated room a cool evening breeze.

"I'm home," Grisha called, stepping in, briefcase in hand. He paused briefly before slipping off his coat, his gaze matching Mikasa's knowingly. "How was everyone's day?"

As if he had set off a detonator, both Eren and Carla burst from their seats at the table, pointing at each other, voices escalating in hopes Grisha catching his or her argument first.

"Let's start with Mikasa, shall we?" Instantly, his son and wife froze. His chair scraped across the ground as he took a seat, kindly placing a loaves of bread on each plate. "So tell us… what did you like most about Shiganshina? And what did you like least about it?"

Following his gesture, she took a bite of the loaf—surprisingly still warm, as if fresh out of the oven. She chewed, ruminated, and swallowed. "The market is something I only got to see whenever Dad—" Her heart plummeted, but she took a deep breath and continued, "—whenever Dad brought me into town. Even then, I only got a glimpse of it, but Eren showed me everything. The fruit, the fish, even the kittens. I really enjoyed that."

Grisha smiled at his son, who, for the first time since coming home, broke his grimace into a sheepish grin.

"Well, as for what I liked the least…" Her voice trailed off, debating whether or not to bring in Theo and his associated assholes.

"Go on, as much as I love this town, I have my fair share of complaints as well," Grisha encouraged with a chuckle.

She exchanged a glance with Eren, who sat quietly, nursing his bruised jaw. "I think this goes for any town, but… there are some kids that I'd rather steer clear of, all due respect, sir."

"Sir? Mikasa, you make me sound more qualified that I could ever dream to be. You can call me that after I overthrow Pixis, but I highly doubt that's happening anytime soon since that geezer could string me up a flagpole by the seat of my pants," Grisha replied, his eyes crinkling in amusement. Mikasa couldn't help but giggle. "So," he continued, redirecting his attention to Eren and Carla, "by kids Mikasa would rather 'steer clear of,' is she referring to who I think she's referring to?"

"Theo, Lucas, Jacques, and Peter," Eren rattled off. "Also known as Shiganshina Shitheads—"

Carla was on him immediately, but Grisha patted her hand gently. He knew which gears to turn, which wires to snip, and Mikasa watched in fascination as he swiftly defused the bomb ticking away at the dinner table. Eren had his chance to vent out his frustration towards the Shitheads and Carla; Carla had her chance to vent out her frustration towards Eren and his use of the term "Shitheads."

"Eren," Grisha began, switching into a stern tone that sent nervous chills down Mikasa's spine. She watched Eren gulp anxiously in response. "I want to stress the importance of picking the right battles to fight. You have limited resources. You can only fracture your bones, jam your wrist, or—" Grisha rounded the table, positioning his hands around the side of Eren's face. He pushed Eren's mandible with his thumbs, producing a soft click as well as a sharp yelp. "—or dislocate your jaw so many times before I can't fix you anymore." He produced a roll of gauze from his pocket and wrapped it a few times from Eren's chin to the top of his head. "That'll stabilize your jaw for the time being. We'll keep it on for six weeks, maybe five if you're careful about sneezing or yawning." Before Eren could protest, Grisha held up a finger. "So now my question to you: Did you pick a right battle?"

Eren took no time to reply, "Yes. Armin was in trouble, and I wanted to help him. Mikasa helped too, Dad! She completely whooped their asses!"

Mikasa blanched at the mention of her name, but she relaxed when Grisha gave her an approving wink. His eyes lingered for a moment, as if peering into her skull and discovering that she single-handedly fended off the Shitheads, but he made no comment other than clapping his hand over his son's shoulder and telling him to wash up and head off to bed.

As Eren hobbled up the stairs, Grisha reached into his other pocket, fumbled a bit, and tossed something towards Mikasa. Wrapped in bright orange foil, a piece of hard, round candy landed into her outstretched hand.

"Th-thank you, Mr. Jaeger!" she stammered, blinking in confusion.

"It's called a jawbreaker, and I actually have one for Eren too," he remarked, tossing her another. "But 'Shithead' isn't exactly the wisest word to use under this roof, and I think his jaw has seen enough action for today—ah, that reminds me. Mikasa, let's keep the mandible injury ratio low today, and please don't chomp into this. It'll live true to its name."

A loud pounding. On a wooden door.

"Hey, let's make that our signal, alright?" The door swung open, slammed shut, and in marched Eren. "Two slow knocks. Then two fast, got it? Scoot, I'm gonna vent."

Mikasa wriggled to the other side of the bed, while Eren clambered into the same spot he dozed in the previous night, positioning his pillow as he saw fit. Secretly, she had spent the last hour watching the lamp cast its silhouettes against the wall, waiting and hoping for those knocks to echo throughout her room.

"Mom can be a total pain," he began, falling back into the mattress. "I can just keep explaining and explaining and explaining, but she doesn't get it. Like, come on. Those guys were gonna beat Armin to a bloody pulp, and she expects us to run off and find Hannes? By the time we get back, he's not even gonna be alive!"

He went on like that, picking at his bandage grudgingly, wincing whenever he shifted his jaw in the wrong direction. When the lamp began to die down, signaling the closing act of its shadow show, Eren's tirade had cooled to a few words interspersed by brief periods of drowsy silence.

"Hey, Mikasa?" he mumbled.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for… sending those guys… home… crying like…"

The lamp flickered out, and Mikasa blushed when he rolled towards her, snuggling so close that she could feel his hair tickling the side of her cheek.

"Anything for you, Eren."

A/N: You know what the worst thing is? Having a shitload of ideas at 2AM but not having the brainpower to turn these ideas into some semblance of a fic. Still, after four annoying years of high school, I'm really excited to take a gap year before college to do a lot of writing that I should have done waaaay earlier. Thank you all for reading, and feel free to leave a comment! I'm thinking about doing a high school AU fic, but that's coming along a bit slowly, so we shall seeeee~ Oh, also, I'm taking any and all suggestions that you lovely readers would like to read!