"Five more minutes!"

Jean barely heard Levi's yell as he was focused on Mikasa. She was crouching low with her unmoving dark eyes trained on him. His forearms were sore from blocking her punches, and he'd yet to land any on her.

Beautiful and deadly. That's my Mikasa.

He charged suddenly, feinting to the left, to then abruptly change directions. He skidded in the dirt and threw out his right fist...

...only to have her grab it with her lightening reflexes and toss him over her shoulder. He landed on his back with an oomph.

"Oww." Jean blinked at the two Mikasa's swimming in front him, hands held out to him. He shook his head, waiting for the Mikasa's to converge into just one. Once his head stopped spinning he took her proffered hand and sat up.

"It's a good thing she went easy on you Kirschstein, I don't know if you would have lived through this otherwise." Levi Heichou's voice carried some mix of amusement and disdain. "Did you get soft or something?"

Jean ignored the shorter man's voice and continued to look up at Mikasa. Her eyes were warm and amused. She helped him to his feet and let him wobble into her.

"You definitely knocked my breath away with that last one. Nice throw." He wheezed his compliment to her, enjoying her closeness.

"Alright, that's it for now you brats. We're doing this again tomorrow. We can't have anyone else going soft like Kirschstein." Levi looked over at Jean. "You should get more practice. Springer, keep an eye on Braus. She's supposed to be making lunch for all of us, not just stuffing her face."

Everyone laughed as Sasha stuck her tongue out at Levi Heichou's back when he turned away. They all started shuffling their way towards the cabin, but Jean hung back with Mikasa.

Passing under the shade of a tree, Jean allowed himself to fall to the ground again, this time more gracefully. He patted the ground beside him and then tucked his hands under his head.

Mikasa paused and then sat down next to him.

Jean spoke without preamble, "Ever think about the future? What life would be like if we didn't have the titans any more, and we weren't in the military? If we didn't have to train like this while hiding away and waiting for orders?"

Mikasa scooted up to the tree to lean against it. She could tell this conversation could take awhile. Whenever Jean got introspective, conversations tended to run long. She didn't mind though. He was fascinating to talk with and relaxing to be around. No wonder she was falling in love with him.

"If you had asked me this a month or two ago, I really wouldn't have much of an answer." She said finally, closing her eyes. "I had only one real goal: protect my family, Eren and Armin. Now though?" She opened her eyes and looked at Jean, her eyes tender. "Now I want to live at any cost. I want to protect my family still-but now that includes you. And whatever future that is."

Warmth spread through Jean's chest at her words, happiness bubbling through him, despite his back protesting her earlier beating. He shifted to a slightly more comfortable position, content with her answer. He knew more or less that she would've have answered just as she said a few months ago. The fact that her answer had changed to something with more hope in it pleased him immensely. And the fact that in changed because he was in her life to this extent now? Yes, he was very pleased.

A light breeze blew through, ruffling his damp hair and blowing inky black strands of hair across Mikasa's face. Leaves tumbled past them, riding the current of air.

"What about you?" Her question was soft.

Jean closed his eyes with a grin.

"If the titans were gone...I imagine that I'd get married. To some amazing woman, who's both gentle and kind, yet fierce and protective and scary in her own right. We'd probably live somewhere quiet. Get a nice cabin somewhere. Near the city, but not in the city. We'd live off the land, and explore the world beyond the walls with our kids. We'd teach them tons of stuff- how to fly through the air with the 3DMG, how to race, how to garden, how to hunt, whatever sounds good to teach them."

Mikasa's eyes had closed at his description of a quiet home. He was describing her home when her parents were alive. They lived near the city, but not in it. Her mom used to keep a garden, and she'd help. Her dad would hunt for the meat they cooked for dinner. Her mom taught her embroidery, and other family traditions.

He's describing what I had given up on. I...I do want that. It may seem like a fantasy, but if he's in it, I want it.

Jean sighed heavily then. "Of course, that's if the titans were gone. Who knows when that will happen, if ever." He looked up to the sky, eyes shadowed. "Maybe it won't be til our kids are grown and we're gone that a titan-free world will even be possible."

He looked over to note Mikasa's far away expression. He waved a hand in front of her face til she let out a soft "oh" and she looked at him. Her cheeks had lost their rosy glow from sparring, but now they had a light blush gracing them. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Somehow I don't think a titan-free world would make you blush. Do I even want to know?"

"Ehhh..." Mikasa hesitated, and then decided to share what was on her mind. "You described my childhood just now. I forgot how happy those days were until you started describing them." She leaned forward to hug her knees, staring out at the grass ahead of her. "My dad used to hunt for us, and mom and I had a garden. She taught me sewing and embroidery and...other family traditions." She smiled softly, painfully, at the memories. "They loved each other deeply. I want to be like them someday."

Jean swallowed at the knot in his throat, awed by her strength just now. He sat up and scooted next to her, putting an arm around her. She leaned into him, sighing.

"Is such a dream even possible for us? Will we live long enough for it to happen?"

"Of course it's possible. It's not some absurd fantasy here. We've just got to figure out what to do about the other titan shifters, not let Eren get kidnapped again, use him to our advantage somehow, and win this war. Doesn't it feel like something big will happen soon? With all of this happening now?" Jean tightened his arm around her. "We just need to ride it out and survive. Together."

She nodded silently and reached out, lacing her fingers with his.

Heart bursting with contentment, Jean grazed his lips over her hair to kiss her forehead.

Eren's yell made them jump.

"Hey! Mikasa! Jean! Where are you guys?! Lunch is ready and Sasha's going to eat your portions!" His voice was getting closer as he yelled.

Jean sighed to himself as he reluctantly moved to pull himself away from Mikasa. But she stayed where she was, fingers still twined with his, head resting on his shoulder. He looked down at her with a question in his eyes, but at that moment it was too late and Eren spotted them.

Eren's eyes bulged. If Jean wasn't confident that Mikasa was ok with this, he would have laughed.

"What the...? What are you?... What are you doing to my sister?! Just because you saved her life that once doesn't mean you can just touch her like that!"

Mikasa stirred next to Jean and looked up at Eren. "I was tired and he was letting me rest on him." Her voice was quiet and firm. "And he can touch whatever of me he wants. Boyfriends are allowed that privilege, aren't they?" She stood and pulled Jean up with her. "Let's go get lunch."

All the blood had drained out of Jean's head at Mikasa's statement of "he can touch whatever of me he wants" leaving him slightly dizzy. He looked at Eren. Her brother's expression was thunder struck.

She has no idea how wrong that sounds...and now Eren is going to murder me in my sleep before I can even dream about that statement. Great.

Mikasa pulled Jean's hand along as she started walking towards the cabin. As Jean was tugged past Eren, Eren's eyes followed them.

"Um, Mikasa? Was that really the best way to let Eren know about us? And do you realize how that sounded?...um.."

"Shut it. He'll live." She glanced back at Jean, then back at Eren, frozen where he stood. "And as for what I said-" Mikasa broke off suddenly, freezing. Her eyes widened and a blush crept up her face as her words finally registered to her brain. "As for what I said, just pretend you didn't hear that ok?" She started moving again, hair falling forward to hide her blush.

Pretend I didn't hear that? No way! That's going to be ingrained in my mind for the rest of my short life.

...Shit. When Armin hears about this, I'm really going to die, aren't I?

Ah well, better enjoy what I can while I can.

With that thought firmly in mind, Jean tugged Mikasa's hand. She stopped and looked at him.

"Don't we want to get lunch before Sasha eats it all?"

"We're going to survive this. We have to." Jean took a quick breath. "I want to marry you. I want to survive this and get a cabin with you near the city but not in it. I want to work with you to provide for us, for our family. I want to be with you. Forever." He knew he was talking fast, but he couldn't stop. "We just need to ride this out, survive it, and do it together. I love you Mikasa."

Mikasa's eyes were wide, but her smile was radiant. She squeezed his hand before she could find her voice. "We will survive. I'll protect you, and you'll protect me." She blushed as she looked into his eyes. "I love you too."

While her blush still lightly dusting her cheeks, Jean paused a moment to admire her beauty. He then lifted his free hand to brush back a strand of hair and gently tugged her into him. He hugged her tightly and tilted her face up.

Leaning down slightly, he then pressed his lips into hers.

Mikasa melted into him and wrapped her arms up around his neck, kissing him back with equal fervor. When they broke apart, he touched his forehead to hers and smiled.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time."

"As good as you imagined?" Her blush was back to its full shade of red.

"Even better. Although I might need a second kiss to confirm that."

Her smile was both impish and gorgeous as she tugged his face down towards hers. "I can help with that..."

And that's the end of my JeanKasa week drabbles! This has been so much fun to participate in. I've had some requests to write more, and I'm more than happy to oblige. ...but I want some ideas and prompts of what you guys want. So please drop a review, and give me some prompts or ideas!