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Chapter Text

Mikasa pulled into a parking space in front of the gym and turned off her SUV, sitting back in the driver’s seat and getting out her phone. She was early for her personal training session, so she figured she would watch some videos until it was time to go in.

She frowned when she saw she had a text from her husband.

“Just think about it,” it said. “It’s not just for me. I think it will really boost your confidence, too.”

Mikasa dropped her phone facedown on her lap, annoyed. She had told him she would think about it but she didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She sighed. But then, when had her husband ever cared about what she wanted?

She leaned forward and checked out her reflection in her rearview mirror, finger-combing her bangs and smearing on some lip balm. It was vain, but her personal trainer was a hot young guy and she didn’t want him to think she was aging past her prime. He would flirt with her while he helped her with her workouts and she liked the attention, even though she knew he was only doing it to encourage her to stay dedicated to her fitness. She still got a little thrill when Eren looked her up and down in the mirror and whistled at her with that grin on his face.

He was so friendly and easy to talk to, too. At least once a week she would notice with a trace of dismay that their session had gone over and she hadn’t even noticed because she was having so much fun chatting with him. She’d offered to pay him for the extra time, but he had told her to stop being crazy and to think of it as his treat.

She might have a little bit of a crush on him, but she was committed to fixing things with her husband for various reasons and Eren was only sweet to her because she was so pathetic, so it wasn't like it mattered if she got butterflies whenever he smiled at her. She didn't need him to like her back. She got to enjoy spending sixty giddy minutes with him three times a week, and if that wasn’t motivation for her to get her butt to the gym, she didn’t know what was.

She glanced at the clock. Speaking of seeing Eren, it was almost time for their session. She could go in now. She grabbed her gym bag, checked her face one more time, then got out of the SUV and headed towards the door.

One of the other personal trainers, Porco, was standing at the front desk with a clipboard, flirting with the sleepy-looking girl at the check in computer. When he noticed Mikasa, he waved at her.

“I’ll let Eren know you’re here,” he said, winking at the girl and striding away to get Eren.

He found him in the small office space he, Eren, and the other personal trainers all shared.

“Jaeger! Your milf is here for her session,” he barked, startling Eren from the exercise plan he’d been working on.

Eren sat up straight, grabbing his phone and turning on the selfie camera to check his hair and teeth.

Porco leaned against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest, shaking his head as Eren popped a breath mint. “I mean, yeah, she's hot. But she's married, dude.”

“And?” said Eren, standing up from his desk and straightening out his gym issued polo. “I can't make a good impression?”

“You're hopeless,” Porco said, stepping aside to let him through the door.

Eren shrugged, hurrying to the front desk where Mikasa was waiting for him, dressed in capri exercise leggings, a sports bra, and a loose tank top.

“Hey!” he said as soon as he saw her. “Guess what today is?”

Mikasa cocked her head. “What?” she asked, the corners of her lips tucking down in a quizzical frown. Eren's heart fluttered.

“It's our six month anniversary,” he said.

Mikasa blinked, her brows furrowing. “Huh?”

“I was looking at your progress calendar and it's been exactly six months since your consultation,” said Eren, grinning exactly how he'd practiced. He was playing this off so cool.

Mikasa's eyes widened. “Oh!” she said. “Has it really been that long?”

Eren nodded, sliding her gym tote from her shoulder and gesturing for her to follow him to the private training room he'd reserved for their session.

She trotted along behind him. “I guess time flies when you're having fun,” she said with a tiny, shy smile.

Eren almost melted into the floor.

It was true. For him, the past six months had passed by in a whirlwind.

He had thought she was beautiful from the first moment he laid eyes on her, when she showed up at the gym for a personal training consultation.

“So, what are your fitness goals?” he had asked her, walking her back to the personal training office and giving her a furtive once over. He couldn’t see anything he would improve. She was thick in all the right places. Her body was a luscious confection of soft, feminine curves that made Eren’s mouth water.

She’d looked down at herself. “Well, I never really bounced back after I had my kids,” she said, shrugging. “I used to be in much better shape.”

Eren wrestled his eyes away from her and showed her into the office, gesturing for her to take the chair on the other side of his desk. “That’s definitely something we can work on together,” he said, pulling out a consult questionnaire and laying it in front of him. “Let’s start with some basics. How tall are you?”

He had been ecstatic when she signed up for the most expensive personal training package, murmuring that she'd like to work with him three times a week, if possible. Usually women preferred to book with one of the female trainers, but, by some miracle, Annie had just quit, leaving Ymir and Historia to juggle her client load along with theirs. They didn’t have space for anyone else. But Eren did, and Mikasa didn’t seem to mind either way, leaning forward to peer at his computer monitor and choose her first session. He couldn’t believe his luck. He was getting paid to work out with a hot, older woman three times a week. He hadn’t realized she would be cool, too, and sweet and blunt with a weakness for toilet humor. He had so much fun during their sessions that he usually let them go over, stealing every moment with her he could get.

He couldn’t believe it had already been six months.

“So did you plan something special for our anniversary?” Mikasa asked, standing to the side while Eren unlocked the door to the private workout space, then held it open for her to walk through.

She was so deadpan with her delivery that when they first started training together Eren hadn't realized when she was kidding around with him. It had really kept him on his toes until he figured her out. Now he chuckled. “Yeah, the greatest gift of all. We're doing a whole day of wall sits,” he said.

Mikasa wrinkled her nose at him. “Wow, you spoil me worse than my husband.”

Eren's teasing smile ground down into a clownlike grimace. She didn't mention Mr. Mikasa almost ever. She usually talked about her kids, her long-lashed, gunmetal gray eyes shining when she recounted their most recent antics. Eren never enjoyed the reminder that their father existed.

“I'm not making you do wall sits today,” he said, handing her the workout plan he'd made for her. She hated wall sits. “You mentioned you missed doing yoga, so I came up with a routine that incorporated some strength training to keep it in line with your goals.”

Mikasa looked down at the paper. “You do spoil me worse than my husband,” she murmured with a soft, bitter chuckle. “You're so sweet.” She sighed, then, with a minute shake of her head, reassumed her usual wryly cheerful demeanor. “Where were the guys like you when I was your age?” she joked, poking Eren’s shoulder.

Eren himself had been just graduating middle school, but he didn't mention that. He didn't want her to start thinking of him as a kid. He just waggled his eyebrows at her and went to grab the weights they'd be using today.

Mikasa threw herself into the yoga routine the same way she threw herself into all the exercises he gave her, following along with him as he guided her through the steps. She was a natural athlete with excellent balance and body control. And she was flexible. Jesus. He was going to add more yoga to her fitness plan for his own sake. He couldn't stop watching her in the full wall mirror. He was doing it under the guise of making sure she was doing the poses right, but she had them down better than he did. He really just wanted to look at her and dream his little dreams about breaking up her marriage and becoming a stepdad.

“Okay, water break,” said Eren after about thirty minutes. “Then we're going to switch to some HIIT. This is too easy for you. You haven't even broken a sweat.”

“Sorry,” said Mikasa, going to grab her water bottle. She screwed off the cap and took a swig, eyeing herself in the mirror. “I feel stronger but I don't look any different,” she said, leaning closer to the mirror and touching her cheek. She grimaced. “My husband told me this morning that he wants me to get botox and a boob job.”

“Pfffft. A knockout like you?” said Eren. “You don't need that shit.”

Mikasa's cheeks pinkened as she shrugged the compliment away. “You don't need to flatter me,” she said. “I know I looked better back when he met me. I was so young then. And naive.” She paused. “I'm sorry, you don't need to listen to my whining,” she said, frowning at her reflection. “I forget that, for you, talking to me is just part of your job.”

She capped her water bottle and set it down, ready to get back to work.

Eren, however, wasn’t about to let that last bit go.

“I don't talk to most of my clients like I talk to you,” he said. “I like our conversations. I look forward to them.”

Mikasa studied him in the mirror.

“Fitness includes the body as well as the mind,” said Eren. “If something’s bothering you, tell me. Maybe I can help.”

Mikasa gave him a doubtful half smile, then turned back to her reflection, inspecting herself with a critical eye.

“I'm serious,” said Eren.

Mikasa hesitated, then said, “He left me.”

Eren's stomach knotted at the pain in her voice.

“Well, kind of,” said Mikasa, rolling her eyes at herself in the mirror. “We separated for, like, six months? Seven? He didn’t move out. We just slept in separate rooms and he started dating a 22-year-old.” She frowned, then snorted. “Well, she's 22 now. I think she had a birthday during all of that.”

“That's younger than me,” said Eren. Although not by much.

“That's how old I was when he met me. I felt so special, being wooed by an older, established man.” Mikasa sighed. “He said he’s not attracted to me anymore but he ‘still loves’ me and doesn't want a divorce if we can ‘work things out’, so he broke up with his little girlfriend and here I am.” She held out her arms. “Trying to get hot enough to keep the family together. And for what?”

“I don't know,” said Eren, shaking his head.

“I should leave him,” said Mikasa. “Every time I look at him, I just…” She clenched her fists. “But I'm just a stay-at-home mom. I don't have any of my own money. And I haven't had a job in years. And…” She swallowed, putting her hand on the belly pooch she hadn't been able to exercise away. “Look at me. Who else would want me now?”

“Me,” said Eren, before he could stop himself. For a split second, he thought about taking it back, but he was committed now. His feelings were out in the open and he was going to act on them until she told him to quit it.

Mikasa's eyes widened for a moment, then she scoffed. “You don't have to lie to make me feel better.”

“I'm not lying,” said Eren, stepping forward so he was behind her in the mirror. He extended a tentative hand and rested it on her shoulder, meeting her reflection’s gaze, his heart pounding. “I think about you all the time.” When she didn't flinch away, he slid his fingers along her uncovered skin, dipping them down to trace her collar bone to the hollow of her throat, not once taking his eyes from hers. “You drive me crazy.”

She was staring back at him, transfixed, her lips parted and her cheeks flushed red.

“You're just flirting with me for work,” she whispered. “To make me feel better about myself. It's pretend.”

Eren shook his head and lowered his lips to the curve where her neck met her shoulder. “I'm not that good at acting,” he said.

Mikasa's breath hitched. “Oh…” she murmured, unconsciously tilting her head to offer up more of her neck.

Eren slid his arm around her waist, pulling her against him, his growing cock prodding her round, biteable ass. His eyes slid back to the mirror, greedy for another full body view of her. She looked good in his arms, leaning against him with furrowed eyebrows and cheeks like roses, her hourglass curves contrasting with his hard, angular lines. Her uncertain gray eyes fluttered to meet his stare like turtle doves flocking to a garden bush.

“I’m not pretending to make you feel good about yourself,” he said in a low, gravelly voice, his lips brushing over her ear. “I’m being serious. I've never met anyone like you and I want you to myself.”

Mikasa melted like chocolate in the sun, heated through by Eren’s body against her back and his mouth on her neck.

It felt like an improbable dream: Eren’s hands on her hips, firm and suggestive, pulling her tight against him as he brushed his lips across her skin. She could feel every rock hard inch of him through his thin joggers and her even thinner workout pants.

“Do you see what you do to me?” he rasped, suckling on her throat.

She relaxed against his chest despite herself, her breaths growing heavy. This was supposed to be a harmless, one-sided crush. He wasn't supposed to complicate things by liking her back.

“But… I'm so much older than you. And you're so young and… and beautiful,” she protested in a breathy voice. “You shouldn’t waste time with me. You should be making the most of your youth.”

Eren slid his hand beneath her tank top’s hem, caressing her bare skin. “What do you think I'm trying to do right now?” he said.

Mikasa licked her lips.

“I shouldn't,” she whispered, catching her lower lip between her teeth.

She should leave right now. She should walk away and switch to a new trainer, maybe one of the women.

“Tell me to stop and I will,” said Eren, teasing his finger beneath the band of her sports bra.

“I’m married,” she said, then moaned, gyrating against him as he slid his hand around her tit and began to massage her nipple. “I have a family.”

He shrugged one shoulder, nibbling her neck and painting lazy circles on her velvety skin with his tongue.

“I’m too old for you,” she whimpered, trying again.

Eren shook his head, grinding against her, grazing her ear with his teeth. “Age is just a number.”

“You work for me,” she gasped. “I pay you.”

“Then tell me to stop,” he whispered, kissing her ear lobe, then her jaw, inching towards her mouth.

She shouldn't do this. Even though her marriage had become a shadow of itself, even though her husband had thrown her away like an old toy, even though he wanted to remake her in plastic, she'd made vows she was honor bound to keep. She was supposed to be a better person than him. That's what she'd been holding onto all this time.

“Tell me to stop, Mikasa,” Eren whispered again.

Her eyes fluttered shut. “I don't want to,” she breathed.

Eren reached up, turning her chin towards him and crushing his lips to hers.

Aching, she kissed him back, sliding her ass up and down his rock hard bulge as his hand trespassed beneath her leggings and between her thighs. Mikasa moaned as he played with her clit, then slipped his fingers inside her cunt. She was dripping wet, drenching him to his knuckles, mewling at his touch.

She hated herself. She had never been happier.

She arched against Eren, looping her arm around his neck. Her hips rolled in rhythm with his hand, her breath coming in soft gasps.

“Look at yourself,” Eren whispered, his voice rough in her ear. “Look how gorgeous you are. You’re so fucking hot.”

Mikasa chanced a glance in the mirror.

She was flushed, her eyes starry with lust and her short, black hair forming disheveled tufts around her head. Eren had pushed her sports bra and tank top up to her armpits and eased her bottoms down around her thighs as he finger fucked her. She was exposed. Her nipples stood at pert points and her skin was pink where he had gripped her hips and her breasts. Her shoulders and neck and jaw glistened with his saliva.

She looked unkempt. Pornographic. Ravishing.

She was a whore.

Eren devoured her with his eyes, his breath coming in harsh, jagged huffs.

Shame stabbed through Mikasa’s chest, mingling with the golden swells of pleasure radiating from between her legs. It wasn't too late. She could stop what she and Eren were doing right now.

“It’s been a long time since anyone has looked at me like that,” she whispered.

“Mikasa,” said Eren, tracing his tongue around the shell of her ear. “If you think that then you haven't been paying attention.”

She twisted, turning her face towards Eren’s. He ducked his head and kissed her, groaning into her mouth, knocking his hips against her ass.

She moaned.

“I want to fuck you so bad,” he rasped, plunging his fingers deep inside her aching cunt.

She sucked in a breath.

Don't! screamed her conscience.

“Then fuck me,” she purred.

Eren flipped her around and pulled her against him, looping his arm around her waist and sealing his mouth to hers. She kissed him back, shocked at her own selfishness.

“I’m gonna lock the door real quick first,” he said, releasing her and hurrying to the private room’s entrance.

Mikasa pressed her hand to her chest. Her heart pounded against her palm. She was really doing this.

Eren pulled his shirt over his head as he strode back towards her, one hand jammed inside his joggers, stroking his cock. A line of coarse, dark hair forged a path up his belly to his navel. Mikasa swallowed, licking her lips. He was beautiful—lean and well-muscled, tall, with an angular jaw and high cheekbones. Couldn't he see he was the gorgeous one between the two of them?

He came to a stop in front of her and began to undress her with eager, appreciative hands, sliding her bra and her tank top up over her head in one piece, then bending to mouth and suck each tit in turn. She moaned, digging her fingertips into his shoulders, guilt sharpening her pleasure as his tongue danced over her dusky, sensitive nipples.

“Eren,” she whimpered. “Hurry. Before I get a conscience.”

He straightened, then backed her towards the weight bench, kneading his fingers into her ass and nibbling on her neck. When they arrived, he took off her shoes and eased her workout pants down her legs. She shimmied out of them and pushed them away as he shed his own bottoms.

Desire pulsed between her legs. She had been able to feel that he was big, but she had still underestimated the size of his cock. He was huge.

She should stop this now. There was still time.

“Sit down,” he said, biting his lower lip and nodding at the end of the bench, his eyes burning into her like coals. Heat exploded inside her as she obeyed, sinking down onto the pleather seat.

Eren kneeled in front of her, sliding reverent hands up and down her thighs, then spreading her legs apart. He probed between her folds with his thumb, making circles on her clit. “I think I’d better loosen you up a bit more first,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ve given birth twice. I think I’ll be okay,” she scoffed before she realized the implication of what she had said. She blushed. “I’m sorry. I wasn't… I mean, I do kegels. I don’t think I’ll be too…”

She trailed off when Eren glanced up, his gaze locking onto hers.

“Tell me if it hurts,” he said, teasing her with the head of his cock, dragging it up and down between her pussy lips before he positioned himself at her entrance.

She swallowed, sparing one last thought for her husband before Eren eased his hips forward and she forgot everything else.

She had been overconfident when she said she’d have no problem taking him. She strained around him as he entered her, struggling to accommodate his girth. A faint sting of delicious pain garnished her pleasure, like salt sprinkled on caramel.

“Oh!” she whimpered, leaning back and resting her hands on the weight bench behind her, spreading her legs wider, her breath catching in her lungs. He felt so good inside her, hard and hot and so big it felt like he would break her in two.

She wanted him to break her in two.

He bit his lip, moving in slow, controlled gyrations as he pushed deeper, stretching her out to fit him, his hands gripping her thighs at the creases as he slid toward her center. Mikasa moaned, growing more desperate with each centimeter deeper he sank. She wanted all of him. She wanted to him to split her open on his massive cock, and fuck her until she couldn’t remember her own name.

“Please,” she begged, raising her hips. “I can take it.”

He dug his fingers into her ass cheeks, pulling her further down the bench until she was almost hanging off the edge. He draped her legs over his shoulders and laid her back, boring down into her as she whimpered and writhed.

Overwhelmed, Mikasa came, clenching around him and gasping at the stinging pleasure, her back lifting up into the air and her mouth falling open into a tremulous “O” as she threw her head back and rocked on his cock.

“Fuck,” Eren gasped.

“Keep going,” she moaned as the ecstasy shuddered through her. “Don’t stop.”

She didn’t have to tell him twice. He bent forward to kiss her, shrugging her calves off of his shoulders, plowing into her as she wrapped her legs around his waist instead.

Their tongues tangled together as he lost himself in the delights of her flesh, driving deep inside her, crushing her tits beneath his chest. She threw her arms around him, raking her fingernails down his back and across his shoulder blades, aftershocks of pleasure rippling through her and building into her next orgasm.

He pulled back to look at her, wanting to see her tits bounce and her wet cunt swallow his cock. She moaned and writhed as he fucked her, running her hand up her abdomen, her diamond wedding set flashing on her finger.

A wave of jealousy surged through Eren. He grabbed her chin, running his thumb across her lower lip. Her tongue darted out, swirling around his knuckle.

“Who fucks you better? Me or him?” he growled.

Mikasa’s heavy-lidded eyes flew open, her flushed cheeks turning pinker.

“W-What?” she stammered.

Eren shifted, reangling his thrusts to find her sweet spot. When he hit it, Mikasa squeaked, her spine curving up off the bench and her breath catching before she let out a long, throaty moan.

“Who fucks you better?” Eren persisted. “Your old man husband or me?”

Mikasa swallowed, staring at him like a deer caught in the headlights.

He stared back, drinking her in, relentless inside her, making her tremble and quake. Her body undulated, matching his strokes, her chest heaving. She was making the same little sounds as she had right before her last orgasm. She was close and he could feel himself tightening in response.

He leaned forward and kissed her jaw, tracing its smooth curve with his tongue. “Tell me, Mikasa. Me or him? Who fucks you better?”

A hint of pleading snuck into his voice and coaxed out her answer.

“You,” she whimpered.

Eren crushed his lips to hers, groaning with need.

“When is the last time he fucked you?”

Mikasa hesitated, then whined with pleasure when Eren pinched one of her nipples and rolled it between his fingers.

“When?” he rasped, hazy-eyed with lust, his breath coming in heavy gusts.

Mikasa pulled him down to her mouth and suckled his salty neck, lavishing in the sensation of his rough, warm skin beneath her tongue.

“A couple nights ago,” she confessed, thinking for a moment of the perfunctory, passionless encounter.

“Did you like it?” Eren whispered back.

“No.” She swallowed hard, tightening her legs around his waist, her hips moving in greedy pulses to take him as deep as she could. Each thrust sent shockwaves of desire out through her extremities. She felt like a starving woman. She was so desperate to take every inch of him, to feel his cock explode inside her as she gave in to ecstasy, to touch Eren and taste him until she could no longer remember the flavor of her own mouth.

“Does he ever make you cum?” Eren asked.

“Not anymore,” she whimpered, trembling on the verge as her swelling pleasure began to crest into an orgasm.

“Good,” Eren murmured, brushing his thumbs across her ultra-sensitive nipples, making her shake. He was fucking her harder now, whipping her into a lustful frenzy. “From now on, you cum for me, Mikasa. Just for me. Got it?”

She nodded frantically, her eyes squeezing shut as the first wave of it rocked through her. Her breath came in sharp, shuddering gasps.

“Eren,” she almost sobbed, clutching his wrists, bucking beneath him. “Eren, oh god! Eren! Please!”

Eren bit the inside of his lip, goring her on his cock. She came undone, whining and arching beneath him. Her cunt clamped around him, pulsing along his length. She dug her heels into his ass, holding him inside of her as her orgasm racked her body. With a low groan, he jerked his hips forward and let himself go. She threw her arms around him as he drenched her cunt in hot, sticky cum, their moans blending together in their mouths as their lips met and their tongues caressed.

He didn't withdraw from her when they were finished. He stayed between her legs, looking down at her, running his fingers through her jet black hair.

“I really like you,” he murmured. “Maybe more than like.”

To his extreme consternation, she flopped her arm over her face, the corners of her rosebud mouth curling down.

“How old are you, Eren?” she said.

Eren didn't want to tell her.

“Older than you were when you met your husband, it sounds like,” he said. Although, not by much.

She shook her head with a pained sigh. “I'm so sorry.”

Eren’s stomach clenched. “Why?”

“Well. Look at you. Look at me,” she said, gesturing at herself.

Eren obeyed, glancing down at his naked torso, then taking several indulgent seconds to study each of her soft curves. When his gaze flicked back to hers, he was getting hard again and she was blushing.

“I looked. I still don't get why you're sorry,” he said. “I like everything I see.”

“I-I shouldn't have allowed that to happen,” she explained in a weak voice. “It wasn't fair to you.”

His stomach clenched tighter.

“What do you mean?” he said. “I wanted to do it.”

She swallowed, her throat bobbing. “It’s just…”

Eren could hardly breathe. Was she about to tell him she didn't return his feelings? While he was still inside of her? “What? Do you like your husband better than me?” he demanded.

“I wish that were true,” she muttered. “It would make this all easier.”

“What does that mean?” Eren asked, then winced. He sounded like a petulant child, not a man who could keep a grown woman satisfied.

“You have your whole life ahead of you. You shouldn’t be wasting your time on a middle-aged mother of two–”

“Your age doesn’t matter to me. And I like kids,” Eren interrupted.

“–Who can’t afford to leave her dead marriage and still provide for her children,” Mikasa finished. “I can’t leave him, Eren. Not if I want to keep my kids.”

Eren frowned. “But, don’t you get half his stuff if you get divorced?”

Mikasa shook her head. “Not with our prenup. It… wasn’t very favorable to me. But I was young and in love and… Well. I got myself stuck.”

“Oh,” said Eren, feeling dumb. He had assumed prenups were a thing celebrities did, not real people.

Mikasa gave him a sad smile.

“Well, how much money do you need? Maybe I can help you.”

“Oh, Eren… No. I can’t let you give me money.”

“Why not?” he said.

“It just… It wouldn’t be fair to you. You’re so young. You–”

“You keep saying that! So what if I’m young?” Eren burst out. “I’m old enough to know what I want.”

He pulled her upright so she was seated on his lap, straddling him. Then, he kissed her, muffling her protests with his lips. Still inside her, his cock began to swell. Mikasa bit back a moan.

“I’m not too young for you,” he said. “And I don’t give a shit if you’re married or if you have to stay married. I like you. I’d be the other man for you.”

Butterflies whirled through Mikasa’s stomach. He made her feel like a lovestruck teenager again; delirious and uncertain and ecstatic. “I don't want to drag you into–”

“I don't need you to protect me,” he said, draping his arms around her waist and staring into her eyes. “Do you like me, too?”

She looked away, then, turning bright red, she nodded.

He grabbed her hand and slid off her wedding set, dropping it on the ground beside them. “Then I don’t give a shit about anything else. That fucker doesn’t exist when you’re with me.”

Eren, this has to be a one time mistake. We can’t do this again, she meant to say, but when she opened her mouth, all that came out was a breathy, “Okay.”

And, then, when he kissed her, she gave herself over to him completely again, sliding her arms around his neck and pressing her breasts against his firm, broad chest, opening her mouth to his tongue. He cupped the back of her head, deepening the kiss. He was fully hard now, filling her up to bursting. No matter how slightly she moved in his lap, his massive cock rubbed against her g-spot, sending pleasure shooting through her spine and down her legs, lighting up her thighs and turning her knees to jelly.

He fondled her nipples, tweaking and pinching them until her back arched.

She was putty in his hands. He hadn’t even started fucking her yet and she was nearly breathless with ecstasy.

“God,” he groaned, sliding his hands down her sides and over her hips. “I’ve been wanting to get you like this for six months.”

He seized her beneath each thigh, then stood and maneuvered across the room with her, where he pinned her against the wall next to the mirror and buried his face between her breasts, pressing soft kisses against her skin.

She glanced at their reflections. He was crushing her against the wall, his hips moving in the slightest undulations as he licked and sucked her tits.

It was an impossible sight. Tall, strong, and handsome—he was an idol to be worshipped, with eyes so beautiful they made her heart break. He had been an out of reach fantasy. How could she be running her fingers through his hair? How could she be wrapped around him, moaning for his cock?

He caught her watching him and grinned, his eyes narrowing to wolfish slits as he tilted her chin to face him. When he pressed his lips to hers, it felt like she was being rewarded for her sins.

He began to move his hips, easing in and out of her as they kissed. He went slow this time, moving in a dreamy haze. It was different from the feral urgency on the workout bench, but no less intense. His hands roamed across her body and his kisses consumed her. She clung to him, whimpering with each stroke, nibbling his lower lip. Lazy tides of pleasure rolled through her, heightening every sensation.

He groaned, taking hold of her waist and angling her so she slid lower on his cock.

She gasped, throwing her head back. He bent forward, chasing her lips, letting his hands wander down to her thighs. He held them at his sides, pressing her into the wall with each thrust.

Breathless with need, she watched him fuck her in the mirror. His narrow hips slapped against her inner thighs, his sweat-sheened muscles flexing. His hair had begun to slip out of his bun and it tickled her cheeks as he kissed her.

“I'm going to make you all mine one day,” he growled. “I don't know when to give up, so I'm never going to.”

“Oh, Eren,” she whimpered, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his lower lip between her teeth.

He hissed with pleasure, kneading his fingers into her ass cheeks.

“Fuck,” he groaned.

Her cunt hugged him, hot and wet, leaving a slick of her juices and his leftover cum on his shaft.

If anyone unlocked the door and walked in, he was getting fired, but he didn't care. He was balls deep in his milf and she was making those indescribable little noises again, the ones that meant she was nearing the edge. He tensed in anticipation, an electric current running up his back.

She was clutching at him, sucking on his lip, messing up his hair.

His breath came in harsh gusts. She was soft beneath his palms—pliant. Her welcoming thighs cushioned him as he pushed himself deep. Her pillowy tits squished against his chest. She felt so good he could hardly stand it.

He glanced over at the mirror and caught her eyes already on him, jade green meeting gleaming hematite. His heart thundered, his muscles clenching as he fought to hang on. Every stroke was an exquisite and torturous battle to hold out until she came first.

She was trembling now, digging her fingernails into his shoulders, kissing him with open-mouthed desperation.

“Eren,” she moaned, rocking her hips, taking him so eagerly. “Harder.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, sliding one hand up her spine. Holding her tight, he took a step away from the wall and granted her wish.

She whimpered as he pounded her cunt, reaching back to brace herself against the wall with one hand, the other clinging to his shoulder as she rocked her hips more frantically.

“Cum with me, Eren,” she gasped.

He was right on the cusp, about to explode. He nodded, swallowing hard.

She dug her fingernails into his skin, almost sobbing with pleasure. “Oh! Ohhh! Eren! Please! I want you to–”

Dazed, he glanced back at the mirror, watching her shake as he buried himself deep and let the crushing pleasure overwhelm him. She let out a strangled cry as he poured his ecstasy into her. Her toes curled and her shoulder blades leapt together, thrusting her breasts forward. Her back arched. Her mouth hung open as moans shuddered through her and her cunt pulsed around him, coaxing him for every last drop.

“Mikasa…” he panted, clutching her to him as her orgasmic fervor ebbed away.

She let out the satisfied, sleepy sigh of a well-fucked woman and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Did we go over my time?” she yawned.

“Nah,” Eren lied, kissing her hair and going to sit back on the bench with her. They had, but it didn't matter. He always gave himself a generous buffer between her session and whoever he was training next so he could spend extra time chatting her up.

He cradled her in his lap, wishing they could take a nap together. He was pretty bushed himself. He was going to have to chug some pre-workout if he was going to make it through the afternoon.

“Mikasa,” he said. “You're not going to leave me, right?”

She lifted her head to look at him.

“You're not going to find a new trainer or a new gym?” he clarified. “You'll be back in two days to see me?”

She hesitated, then flushed pink. “I’ll be here.”

Eren let out a relieved breath as Mikasa glanced at the clock.

“Oh, my gosh!” she said, scrambling to her feet. “Eren, I was supposed to leave almost ten minutes ago! I'm throwing off your whole schedule!”

“No, you're not. Don't worry about it,” he said as she hurried to pull on her clothes.

She glanced around the training space. “Oh, my gosh. Eren! There is semen everywhere.”

“It's just a little bit on the floor. I'll clean it up,” he laughed, getting up and pulling on his boxers. “I wipe everything down after each training session anyway.”

Mikasa pulled her shirt over her head and picked up her water bottle and her keys. She looked harried and uncertain.

“I feel like I'm forgetting something,” she said.

“Your goodbye kiss?” Eren suggested.

Mikasa sputtered, thoroughly flustered. “Is that–? I've never– I suppose we could…”

Out of unconscious habit, she moved her thumb to fiddle with her wedding ring and found bare skin.

“Oh!” she said, blushing. “I need my…”

She glanced at Eren, embarrassed, then went to retrieve her wedding set. It felt wrong to put it back on in front of him, so she slipped it into the side pocket on her leggings while he scowled nearby.

“Sorry,” she mumbled.

Eren shrugged, looking at his feet. “Not your fault,” he said.

Mikasa twisted her water bottle between her hands. “Well… I guess I'll see you on Wednesday,” she said, turning to go. Maybe this was it and her affair was over almost as soon as it had begun.

“Wait,” said Eren, lunging forward and grabbing her wrist. “Your kiss!”

The relief she felt when she turned her face up to his was indecent.

He planted a soft kiss on her lips. “Happy six-month anniversary, Mikasa.”

Chapter Text

“You’re wearing that to lunch with my parents?” asked Willy.

Mikasa turned away from the full length mirror in their bedroom to look at him directly. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Mmm…” Willy pursed his lips. “Just… Isn’t it a bit too… youthful?”

Mikasa’s jaw clenched. “Pick a fight, Willy. Do you want me to look my age or do you want me to shoot my face full of botulinum toxin so you don’t have to look at my crow’s feet?”

Willy shook his head. “You’re hysterical.”

Mikasa turned back to the mirror. “Whatever.”

She looked fine. She was wearing a white floral dress with a sweetheart neckline, cap sleeves, and a knee-length circle skirt. The boob coverage could be better, but that was true of everything she wore. If it didn’t go up to her neck, there was going to be cleavage. The fact that Willy had suggested she get a boob job because they didn’t defy gravity like they used to was ludicrous. If she did anything with her boobs, she would want to go smaller.

“I just think it looks like you’re trying too hard,” said Willy.

“Huh. That’s funny,” said Mikasa, running her fingers through her bangs. “I’m not trying at all.”

Willy let out an annoyed grunt and stalked out of the room, muttering, “I can’t talk to you anymore! You’re so sensitive!”

Mikasa heaved a disgruntled sigh. This was partly her fault. For years she had conceded to him on everything; from what to name their kids all the way down to what kind of peanut butter they bought for the house (smooth, even though she preferred crunchy). At first she’d gone along with it because she believed him when he said he was only trying to take care of her and she shouldn’t be ungrateful, then eventually she did it because she’d lost all sight of her own desires. But those desires were coming back now, and they didn't leave room in her for Willy’s preferences.

Her biggest desire was also the most impossible: she wanted to divorce Willy without losing custody of her kids.

The other big thing she wanted was Eren.

Despite all his grand claims, she didn’t believe that he would stay with her once she finally figured out how to leave her husband. He would probably try for a while because he did care about her, but he was a young, single guy with very few responsibilities. As much as he insisted he wanted to be together for real, he only wanted to play house with her. He wasn’t prepared for the real responsibilities of domestic life with two elementary school-aged kids. He wasn’t prepared to see her all day every day. She suspected the real reason he wanted her as much as he did was because he couldn’t have her. Eren hated being told he couldn’t do something. The fact that there were so many restrictions on her time with him drove him crazy.

It was a strange conundrum. If she loved Eren, her best chance of making sure she kept him was to stay married to Willy. If she left Willy so they could be together, she would probably lose him.

That’s why she couldn’t let her feelings for Eren enter the equation when it came to whether or not to end her marriage. She couldn’t go on letting men’s desires determine the choices she made for her life.

But, damn. Why did putting herself first have to be so hard?

***

“I have a question,” Eren said, interrupting his brother, Zeke, mid-sentence.

They were at lunch, dining al fresco at an upscale bistro. The restaurant was a bit too up its own ass for Eren’s taste, but Zeke was paying so he was eating. He wasn’t going to turn down a free meal.

“What is it?” Zeke asked, dabbing his lips with his napkin but failing to address the dribble of soup on his beard.

“You’ve been divorced, like, three times. What do you know about prenups? Can you get rid of them?”

“Why do you want to know?” Zeke asked.

Eren ground his teeth together. “That is none of your business.”

Zeke sighed. “Okay, well, I'm no lawyer, but my second wife challenged ours during the divorce. So there's that.”

“Did it get cancelled or whatever?”

“No. The judge upheld it.”

Eren gave Zeke a dirty look. “That's not very fucking helpful, is it?”

“Why do you even want to know about prenups?” Zeke demanded. “You're not engaged!” He paused, then leaned forward eagerly. “Are you engaged?”

“I wish,” Eren muttered.

“I didn't even know you had a girlfriend!” said Zeke.

“Yeah, well, it's complicated,” said Eren.

Being the other man was kind of a pain in the ass, if he was honest. Sneaking around was okay but he hated how little he got to see Mikasa. They'd started scheduling her training sessions so they could meet at his apartment during his lunch break right after, but that didn't even give them a full two hours together and it was only three times a week.

Plus, her conscience still flared sometimes and she would cry and call herself a terrible person after sex, and Eren would get scared she was going to break up with him. She never did. He would hold her and comfort her and before long they'd be onto round two, but it still made him nervous and it still pissed him off to see her wracked with guilt because she had a sense of misplaced loyalty to another man.

That was the worst part: having her old loser husband always lurking at the edges of their relationship, casting his shadow on it. No matter how hard Eren tried to pretend he didn’t exist, there were reminders everywhere: The pale band of skin around her finger when she took off her wedding set, the way he had to be careful not to leave marks when they fucked, the fact that he could never visit her house, and the ever present constraints on her time. Eren wanted to take her on a date and introduce her to his mom and make her his lock screen but he couldn't because her idiot husband couldn't find out about them.

“Well, whatever you need the information for, your best bet is to talk to a lawyer,” Zeke advised.

“Hmph.” Eren leaned back in his chair, glowering as he took a sip of his drink. How was he supposed to get a copy of Mikasa's prenup? Would she give him one if he asked? It was rare that she would volunteer any information about her marriage, even before they started their affair.

“Let's change the subject!” said Zeke.

Eren sighed. “Sure, whatever. What do you want to talk about?”

He only listened with half an ear while Zeke prattled about baseball. He was observing the other patio diners and stewing over his problem.

Three girls about his age were chatting animatedly, sipping mint juleps and picking at salads. Would Mikasa be willing to contest her prenup?

A group of suited, middle aged men made loud, unfunny jokes and tried to flirt with the server whenever she came by. What if Mikasa tried to contest her prenup and failed? Would she blame Eren?

A woman ate by herself, absorbed by something on her phone. Maybe Mikasa didn't even want a divorce. Maybe she liked things the way they were.

A man and a woman had a tense conversation over pasta and chicken. Maybe Mikasa didn't love Eren as much as he loved her. Maybe she didn't crave him like air. Maybe she didn't turn every corner hoping he would be on the other side.

A group of four followed the host out onto the patio, being shown to their table. The younger woman in the quartet looked exactly like Mikasa. It couldn’t be her, though. Eren had addled his own brain daydreaming about her too much. He blinked, trying to clear her from her vision, but she remained in place, walking alongside an older man with long, blond hair streaked with silver and a couple of well-dressed retirees.

Eren’s heart skipped a beat. Was it really her? If she would turn his way, even a little bit, he could get a better look at her face and then…

Like she had read his mind, she turned to glance at an old woman eating lunch with a tiny dog in her lap and all of Eren’s doubts evaporated. It was her. She was here, on the same patio as he was, about to have lunch at the same fuckass bistro he was dining at.

He tuned Zeke out entirely. He was consumed with watching Mikasa and appraising her lunch companions. He had never seen her husband before, but certainly the smarmy blond fucker pulling out her chair for her was the loser himself.

Mikasa took her seat with a bland smile and picked up her menu. Eren tried to remember what the entrees had been today. He wanted to guess what she would order. Fish, maybe? She'd been saying the other day that she had loved it growing up, but her kids and that guy she lived with didn't care for it so she rarely had the chance to eat it anymore.

“What are you looking at?” Zeke asked, twisting around to try to see.

“None of your fucking business,” Eren snapped, hunching over his plate.

“Jeez,” said Zeke.

Eren tried to pretend to give a shit about his conversation with his brother after that, but he was watching Mikasa from the corner of his eye the whole time.

She hadn't noticed him yet, but he didn’t mind. He liked getting the chance to observe her undetected and see what she was like when she wasn’t with him.

She seemed different. Maybe it was her outfit. He had never seen her dressed up like this before. She was wearing a white, flowery dress with a sort of low, feminine neckline. It looked like something a less well-endowed woman might wear to church. On Mikasa, though, it looked like pure sex. When she'd been walking to her seat, he'd been mesmerized by the way the dress hugged her waist and flowed around her hips and ass, hinting at the luscious curves hidden beneath the skirt’s voluminous folds. Seated, he could see her cleavage spilling over the top of the dress and he knew, even though he was too far away to see it, that his favorite of her moles would be visible on the swell of her left breast, just above her neckline.

He usually saw her in her workout clothes or—on the rare evening she could steal away to his apartment under the guise of attending her non-existent book club—in nice but casual clothes: maxi skirts, jeans, or leggings paired with simple tees and tanks. Sometimes she wore a cardigan if it was chilly.

She never wore makeup, or at least not enough that Eren could detect it. He could tell she was wearing it now, though. Her lips were painted a distracting red and her eyes looked more defined than usual, even from this distance. She was beautiful no matter what, but the novelty of seeing her all dolled up took his breath away. It was a new aspect of her to worship.

It rankled that she had done all this to come out with another man. Eren should be the one sitting next to her with his hand resting on the back of her chair, reminding everyone that the gorgeous woman beside him was his. Was her husband running his thumb up and down the exposed ridge of her spine like Eren would do? Was he thinking about sliding her skirt up her thigh and palming her bare skin while they chatted with their lunch companions?

Eren clenched his fist under the table, grinding his knuckles into his knee while he stabbed his fork into his steak.

Eren was a jealous lover. He’d gotten by being the side piece by doing his best not to think of Mikasa’s life without him, but now it was staring him in the face. She lived in the same house as this man. They slept in the same bed every night. They had children together.

Eren dug in his pocket and pulled out his phone. He held it in his lap and tapped out a quick message while Zeke droned on about whatever. Jesus Christ, that geezer could yap.

Across the patio, Mikasa’s phone buzzed in her purse. Her eyes darted to the sound. She made it a point not to text or go on social media when she was with other people, but it was tempting at this moment. She didn't dislike Willy’s parents but their relationship was not close. His whole family treated her with a sort of pompous benevolence that made it very clear they did not consider her one of their own. She never felt truly included when they did things with the other Tyburs. She was along for the ride and that was all.

She was bored out of her mind.

She debated what to do for a few moments, then, when Mrs. Tybur picked up her phone to look at something, Mikasa snatched hers as well.

She had a message from Eren!

He was saved in her phone as “Trainer - Gym” to make him seem unimportant, but she still turned slightly away from Willy to conceal her screen. She had no idea what Eren had sent her. It could be innocent. It could be a dick pic captioned “Thinking of you.” She always had to be careful opening his messages.

This one said, “How much do you like me?”

Mikasa set her phone facedown on the table and pondered her answer. What should she say? “You're my favorite trainer at the gym”? “I love you so much that when I think too hard about it, I cry because I know we won't end up together”?

She couldn't be too honest with Willy sitting right next to her, but if she was too neutral Eren would take it to heart. He was sensitive.

In the end, she grabbed her phone and replied, “Oodles and oodles.”

As soon as she hit send, she regretted it. She didn’t have to be up-to-date on all the current slang to know that “oodles” was not on the list. She rested her forehead against her palm. She was so old and out of touch.

“Are you okay, dear?” asked Mrs. Tybur. “You look pained.”

Mikasa straightened. “No, I’m fine. Thank you. I was just trying to think if I remembered to buy juice boxes when I was at the grocery store earlier.”

She knew she had not remembered to buy juice boxes. She was going to have to make another trip later that evening to buy some for the kids’ lunches.

“Juice has so much sugar,” Mrs. Tybur gasped.

Mikasa’s jaw tightened. This was rich coming from a woman who plied the children with chocolate milk and root beer whenever they visited. “I think one serving of 100% fruit juice per day won’t do any lasting damage,” she said.

“I was reading an article about childhood obesity the other morning, and it was… Ugh! So sobering!” Mrs. Tybur said. “I sent it to Lara. I could send it to you, too.”

Mikasa didn’t think she would learn anything new by reading it, but it didn’t hurt to play nice. Even if she did manage to extract herself from her marriage, she and the Tyburs would still be family through her kids. “Sure,” she said. “I would love to read it.”

Mrs. Tybur leaned forward. “One of the most interesting things I learned–”

Luckily, the server chose that moment to arrive tableside to see if they were ready to order.

“I’ll just send it to you,” Mrs. Tybur said, flapping her hand at Mikasa and picking up her menu. “That chicken caesar salad looked nice. But so did the spring salad…”

Mikasa picked up her menu as well. She already knew what she wanted. She was going to get the fish. Willy and the kids hated fish, so she never got to eat it at home.

While she was placing her order, her phone buzzed. Once Mikasa finished and handed over her menu, she peeked at the screen. Eren again.

“Who’s texting you?” asked Willy.

“My trainer,” said Mikasa. “I think he might need to reschedule one of our sessions.”

“Oh, have you been working with a personal trainer?” Mr. Tybur asked. “Lara sees one. She’s been trying to get me to sign up.” He patted his belly.

“Yes,” said Mikasa. “I work with him three times a week.”

“I was going to say, you look so slim!” said Mrs. Tybur.

“Thank you,” said Mikasa.

“She still has a long way to go to get rid of the mom bod,” said Willy.

“Maybe a nutritionist would help?” Mrs. Tybur suggested.

“Lara has a nutritionist,” Mr. Tybur said.

Mikasa gritted her teeth beneath her polite smile. “Maybe I’ll look into that,” she said, grabbing her phone and standing up. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to avail myself of the facilities.”

As she walked away, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was an email with a link to the childhood obesity article Mrs. Tybur had recommended.

Mikasa went inside the restaurant and down the narrow hallway to the customer lavatories. They were both clean, attractively furnished, unisex, single occupant restrooms, so, with neither being better than the other, Mikasa went into the closest one and locked the door behind her.

She ignored Mrs. Tybur’s email and opened Eren’s text.

“I miss you. I don’t want to wait for tomorrow to see you.”

Mikasa let out a wistful sigh and texted back. “Me, either. I’m out at lunch right now and I’m having a terrible time. I wish you were here.”

After a moment of deliberation, she added a sad face and hit send.

Then, she did her business, washed her hands, and pondered her hair for a few moments while she dried them. Was her pixie cut too matronly? Maybe she should grow it out.

Throwing one last look at her hair in the mirror as she opened the bathroom door, she stepped through and collided with a warm, hard body.

“Oh, my gosh,” she said, turning to see her victim. “I’m so– Eren? What are you doing here?”

He grinned down at her, unleashing a swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

“I got your text,” he said in a low, seductive growl.

Mikasa sputtered. “I– How did–? How did you know I was–?”

Eren laughed and nudged her back through the doorway. He followed her in and shut the door behind him, locking it with a click. “I saw you get seated. I was here having lunch with my brother.”

Mikasa’s eyes widened. “You were already here?”

“Mmmhmm,” said Eren, sliding his hands around her hips. He pulled her against him and pushed his thigh between her legs, grinding it against her pussy.

Mikasa sucked in a breath. “I didn’t even see you.”

“I couldn’t take my eyes off of you,” Eren said, kissing the hollow where her shoulder and neck met.

Mikasa let out a soft, quivering exhalation, running her hands up the muscled ridges of Eren’s back and drawing him closer.

He kneaded his fingers into her ass cheeks, spreading them apart as he traced his tongue along her throat. She squirmed against his thigh, her breath growing shallow. This is such a bad idea, she thought, knowing full well she wasn’t going to do anything to stop it.

Eren’s lips traveled along her jaw, warm and soft. Mikasa shifted her face towards him, tingling in anticipation of a kiss. Then, at the last minute, right as he was lowering his mouth to hers, she gasped and whipped her head away so his kiss landed on her cheek.

“Huh?” he said, frowning at her.

Mikasa cupped her hand over her cherry colored lips. “I just realized. My lipstick,” she said. “We’ll smear it and I don’t have the tube with me to touch it up after.”

“Well, where is it?” said Eren.

Mikasa blinked. He wasn’t going to try to go get it for her, was he?

“It’s at the table, in my purse,” she said. Hanging on the back of my chair, right next to Willy.

“What if I'm careful not to fuck up your lipstick?” he tried.

She gave him a look. He had a hard enough time not giving her hickeys. Preserving her lipstick was out of the question.

Eren grunted with dissatisfaction. “So I can’t kiss you?”

She shook her head. Willy might not notice, but she couldn’t take the chance that he would.

Eren tutted, stormy-eyed. “Fine, whatever,” he grumbled, flipping her around and pushing her up against the door. He jammed his thigh back between her legs and yanked her bra and the low neck of her dress down beneath her breasts. They spilled into his hands, soft and heavy. Her nipples had contracted into hard little peaks. He pinched them between his knuckles, squeezing and massaging them as he ground his erection against her ass.

Mikasa let out a soft moan.

Eren kissed the nape of her neck. He was pissed and he was rock hard. He wanted to feel her on his cock, clenching around him and making those needy, breathless noises that meant he had her on the verge of cumming. Maybe he should pull out before she could finish. Make her go without, just like she had done to him.

His frustrated lips traveled over her skin. She was sliding up and down his thigh, desperate for the friction, leaving a wet spot on his slacks. It soaked through the fabric into his skin, anointing him with her lust.

Her panties had to be a mess.

Good.

By the time he released her back to her husband, she wouldn't be able to think about anything but Eren for the rest of her date. That would be his consolation.

He shoved her skirt up and reached between her legs, pushing her panties aside to slide his fingers inside her. She arched, whimpering, as he began the work of loosening her up for him.

He curled around her so her back was flush against his chest and her ass cradled his throbbing dick. His heartbeat thudded against her shoulder blades. He kissed the hollow of her jaw, keeping his eyes trained on her tits. They bounced and swayed as she writhed around his fingers, panting and doing her best to bite back her moans.

She reached back and fumbled with his belt, letting out a soft, annoyed whine when she couldn’t get it unbuckled fast enough. Eren swallowed a groan and came to her aid, releasing himself from his slacks.

He was so hard it hurt.

Mikasa’s hand was on him in an instant, wrapping around his shaft and jacking him from base to tip and back again. His arms tightened around her, his breath hissing against her cheek.

He wanted to take his time and savor her, but the clock was never on his side when it came to Mikasa. As soon as she was loosened up enough, he withdrew his fingers from her and slipped free of her fist, tugging her panties down to her knees and pressing the head of his massive cock against the entrance to her cunt. Mikasa whimpered and rolled her hips, silently begging him for more.

He lifted his hand to slide his fingers into her mouth so she could suck them clean while he fucked her, but then he remembered her precious lipstick and stopped.

He couldn't do anything he wanted.

Clenching his jaw, he seized her tits. They overflowed from his hands, big and soft and luscious. He gripped them like handholds and eased his hips forward.

He and Mikasa let out twin moans, relaxing into each other as he skewered her on his cock.

He stayed motionless inside her for a moment, letting her adjust, then he began to thrust, squeezing her tits as hard as she squeezed around his dick. His breaths were shallow and uneven. She was already making her little pre-orgasm noises. He could feel himself tighten in response, ready to flood her eager cunt with his cum.

He reached between her legs, stroking her clit. A shudder ran through her and she gasped, jerking her hips and slamming herself low on his cock. He groaned into her ear and pinched one of her nipples, rolling it between his fingers.

Mikasa swallowed a moan, bracing herself against the door and rocking her hips to bring him in deeper. A very tiny part of her worried that her skirt was getting crumpled or he was leaving red marks on her skin or that they were creating some other evidence would give her away when she went back to her table, but it was hard to think about anything besides how good Eren felt—his solid chest against her back; his warm, rough hands finding every spot she wanted to be touched; the delectable stretch of his dick inside her cunt; his spicy, masculine scent filling her nose.

She wanted to turn around and unbutton his shirt, to run her palms across his naked skin and kiss every inch of him. She wanted to taste him and suck on his neck until he bruised so the other, younger women he might meet at work would see that he was taken.

Even though he wasn't. Not really. Not when she was married.

What would she do if he found somebody else?

A flash of melancholy cut through her, sharpening the edge of her pleasure until she moaned. She had him now. He was inside her now, clutching her now, whispering “God, your fucking tits,” in her ear right now. She whimpered, biting her lip hard. His fingers danced across her clit, and his cock stroked against her g-spot. Her thighs, slick with her juices, began to tremble. Her hips rolled in desperate undulations. She let out a pathetic, hungry whine.

Eren’s lips found the crook of her neck and suckled her bare skin. She bucked in his arms, almost at her peak. Her mind was a fog of pleasure and need.

“Does that feel good?” he asked, his voice vibrating through her.

“So good,” she gasped, almost too dazed to speak.

“What if I stopped fucking you right now?” he growled against her throat.

“Huh?” she squeaked, dismayed.

He abandoned her clit, seizing her tits in both hands and thrusting into her. She threw her head back, moaning.

“What if I stopped fucking you right now?” he repeated.

“W-Why?” she managed to choke out.

“You won’t let me kiss you, so maybe I shouldn’t let you cum,” he said, thrusting into her again, hard and deep.

A shudder of pleasure and panic ran through her. “Please, don’t,” she begged.

His lips were back on her throat, hot and soft and wet. “Why shouldn’t I?”

Another thrust. Mikasa almost sobbed with need.

She was so close. Just a little more and she would be a puddle in his arms. He thrust into her again. Her breath was coming now in sharp, staccato whimpers. She was almost there. She grabbed his wrists, clinging to him tight.

His hips began to withdraw.

“Eren, please! Please!”

He slammed back into her, unleashing her orgasm in a torrent. She arched against him, knees buckling, fighting to keep her volume down as she came undone. Eren pressed his lips against her temple as he pounded into her, then shot his load with a low groan, filling her with his hot, sticky seed.

Oh, god, she loved him.

He held her up while she panted, head lolling back against his broad shoulder.

“Thank you for not stopping,” she rasped, trying to catch her breath.

“Did I scare you?” he chuckled.

She nodded, running her fingers through her pitch black bangs.

He leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I’m not as strong as you are. I can’t tell you no when you beg.”

She turned her head to look up at him. Her big, expressive gray eyes were clouded with hurt reproach. “Eren, it’s not that I didn't want to k–”

“Let’s get you cleaned up and back to your husband,” he interrupted, grabbing a handful of paper towels to wipe off his dick before tucking it back into place and zipping up his slacks. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Eren…”

“I said it’s fine,” he said, wetting another handful of towels and kneeling down to wash off the cum dribbling down her legs. “Now come on. We’d better get you back before you’re missed.”

***

“Did you fall in?” Willy asked once Mikasa got back to the table. “The appetizers are already here.”

She sat down in her chair. “Sorry, I started reading that article your mom sent me and got invested.”

Mrs. Tybur leaned forward eagerly. “What did you think of it?”

Mikasa swallowed. She hadn’t actually read it. She hadn’t even skimmed it. She’d been too busy getting fucked into oblivion. She took a deep breath. “It was… I don’t even know where to start. Just… It was so… enlightening? And, wow.” She glanced at Mrs. Tybur to see if she was satisfied with Mikasa’s incoherent blabbering, but she was nodding at her to go on, eyes shining with interest. “Um…” said Mikasa. “It just really got me thinking. Like… Seed oils! Wow!”

She glanced at Mrs. Tybur again. She was nodding emphatically. “I’m telling you, Mikasa, you need to start checking every ingredient label!”

“Totally!” said Mikasa, grabbing her glass of water and taking a big sip.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Eren walking back to his table. She wanted to chase after him and sit with him and meet his brother. She wanted to put on a fresh coat of lipstick and stamp kiss prints all over his face. She wanted to apologize for having to hide him and not being able to put him first.

Instead, she grabbed a crostini from the plate of appetizers and took a bite.

“Your hair looks wet,” Willy commented, scanning the rest of the patio area, then looking back at Mikasa. “Did you actually fall in?”

Her stomach dropped. She’d had to slick it back down with water after her quickie with Eren. She got sex hair just from making out sometimes. She had been hoping Willy wouldn’t notice it.

Her hand darted to her bangs. “Oh, that?” she said. “No, I was just primping a little.”

Willy gave her a brief, disinterested nod and turned back to the conversation he’d been having with his father.

Mikasa turned forward and shoved the rest of the crostini in her mouth. Several tables away, the server delivered Eren’s check. Eren’s brother—a blonde man with a beard—reached for it. Eren glanced over at Mikasa, his eyes catching on hers from across the crowded patio for a moment before he looked away. Her heart squeezed. She didn’t want to reject him, but what choice did she have? If Willy found out what she’d been getting up to, she wouldn’t be able to see him at all.

She grabbed another crostini.

“Don’t forget you still have an entree coming,” Willy hissed out of the side of his mouth.

She sighed and put it back down.

***

When Eren got home, he sulked. He sulked while he got changed out of his dress shirt and slacks. He sulked while he sprawled across his sofa in his boxers and played Destiny 2 online with Armin. He sulked while he made himself chicken and rice with a microwave steamer pack of vegetables for dinner. He sulked while he ate it and watched TV.

Mikasa hated him now. She hadn’t let him kiss her because she hated him and she had used her old man husband as an excuse. There was no other way to look at it. She was bored of him and she was going to break up with him. She’d probably do it tomorrow after their personal training session.

Or, worse, she’d realized that her old man husband could give her a better quality of life than Eren could. He hadn’t thought much about how well off she must be until he saw how much Zeke had paid for their meals and their drinks earlier that day. Eren had almost choked when he peeked at the check, but Zeke hadn’t batted an eye. Spending $120 on lunch and a couple of cocktails apiece—not counting the tip—was chump change for Eren’s financially (though not romantically) successful older brother, and Eren had realized with a rush of horror that Mikasa and her husband were in the same income bracket. Look at how much she casually spent on personal training sessions with him, after all. How was a 23-year-old guy with a regular person job supposed to finance her lifestyle? His rich mom and dad still paid his rent and his phone bill, for Christ’s sake.

Also, why was everyone in his family rich except him?

So that was it. Mikasa had realized he was poor and now she was through with him, and rightfully so. He wasn’t good enough for her. He couldn’t take care of himself, let alone a beautiful stay-at-home girlfriend and two stepkids.

He groaned and buried his face in his hands. No wonder she had refused to kiss him.

He was startled out of his spiral by a soft knock at his door.

Still garbed in just his boxers, he plodded over, heartbroken and heedless of his near nudity.

“Oh, my gosh!” Mikasa squeaked when he threw open the door, blushing and staring at his boxers, which left very little of Eren’s anatomy to the imagination. “You’re, um…” She paled. “I’m sorry. Am I– Am I interrupting something? Do you have someone here? I should– I’ll just–”

She turned to go, but Eren grabbed her and dragged her inside. “I was just eating,” he said, gesturing to the half empty plate on his coffee table and the detective show playing on his TV. “Why didn’t you use your key?”

She shook her head, flustered. “You weren’t expecting me. I didn’t want to… Um. Intrude.”

“You’re never intruding. Why are you here?” he asked, a little forlornly. She was going to tell him it was over. He knew it.

Mikasa pulled her lips between her teeth and wiggled anxiously. She was in regular clothes now—leggings and a t-shirt—but she was still just as beautiful as she had been in her dress that afternoon. “I can only stay a minute. I had to run to the store to get juice boxes for the kids’ lunches and I have to get back, but first… I wanted to… Um…”

Eren pouted. This was it. His last moment of happiness before everything came crashing down.

“Well, I’ve been wanting to give this to you since I saw you at lunch,” she said and grabbed his face. Before he could blink, her lips were on his.

He relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. She was warm and soft and she had come all the way here just for this. How could he ever have doubted her? They were soulmates. He was even more in love with her now than he had been that morning.

Mikasa drew back to look at him for a moment, then, her gray eyes going dark, she boosted up on her tiptoes latched onto his neck, sucking and nibbling on his bare skin. Eren sucked in a breath, running his hands up and down her hips.

“I thought you said you couldn’t stay,” he croaked.

“I can’t,” she said with a regretful sigh, dropping back on her heels. She reached up to wipe her saliva away from the tender spot she had left behind. A small, self-satisfied smile quirked at the corners of her lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow, though.”

“Yeah,” Eren said. “I can’t wait.”

She gave him one more lingering kiss and then she was gone.

In a daze, Eren went and locked the door behind her, then went into his small bathroom to confirm what she had done to his neck.

Sure enough, he had a giant hickey, high on his throat where his work polo’s collar wouldn’t hide it. Her stamp of ownership.

Jesus Christ. He needed to get her divorced, like, yesterday. He didn’t know how he was going to manage it, but it was going to happen. He was opportunistic, he could be ruthless, and his morals were all fucked. He wanted her and she wanted to keep her kids, and he was going to make it happen for both of them. And that douchebag husband of hers wasn’t going to be able to do anything about it.

Chapter Text

"Eren, what time do you start work? 10 a.m.?"

Eren rubbed his eye with the heel of his palm and squinted at Mikasa's text. His alarm had only just gone off and he was still waking up.

"Yeah," he tapped back, yawning. "And off at 7."

Mikasa didn't text back, but that was to be expected. At this time of morning, when Eren was getting up for the day, she was dropping her kids off at school and doing her errands.

He rolled out of bed and shuffled to his bathroom with one hand shoved down the front of his boxers and the other scratching his bare chest. He peed and brushed his teeth, then wandered into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee. He was in the middle of pouring a chocolate protein shake into his mug in place of creamer when a knock sounded on his door.

He grabbed his coffee and went to check through his peephole before he committed to being home for whoever was on his doorstep.

He discovered a somber-faced Mikasa on the other side. He knew that expression. His heart sank and his stomach clenched, but he also started to get a little hard.

He set down his coffee and opened the door to his studio apartment. Mikasa slipped inside as soon as there was room for her to squeeze through and threw herself at Eren. He could feel the tears on her cheeks as she buried her face in his shoulder and kissed his naked skin, clinging to him.

"You slept with him last night," Eren said. It wasn't a question. He knew the signs by now.

A little sob blubbered out of her when she nodded. "I was so tired and he wouldn't leave me alone to go to sleep. It was easier just to give in. I'm such a piece of shit."

A small and wounded part of Eren wanted to agree with her, but more than that he wanted to kill Willy.

Mikasa pressed herself closer to Eren, all soft breasts and gentle curves. Her mouth found his clavicle and began to explore. He let his hands wander around her waist and settled them on the small of her back, pulling her flush against him.

The first time she confessed to sleeping with Willy he had been furious. It wasn’t a surprise to him. He wasn't stupid, even if he wasn't exceptionally smart, either. He knew the implications of having an affair with a married woman. But, hearing about it? That he had not been prepared for. He had thought she would lie to him like she lied to her husband.

But, she didn’t. She had come to their training session all puffy-eyed and pale-cheeked, looking like she had been to hell and back since breakfast. He’d had to coax her to tell him what was wrong, and, once she did, he had stood there seething while she crumbled into sobs and whimpered, "I hate this. No matter what I do, I'm always cheating on someone."

That had only pissed Eren off more. Was he supposed to comfort her when he was the one who’d been hurt? Who felt like she’d rammed a knife into his gut and twisted it? Who had been forced to picture her with another man?

A vindictive and petty part of him had wanted to go out that night and fuck someone else to make it even, to tell her all about it and make her feel as torn open as he did. It’s not like he owed her anything. But, the thought of another woman—smelling of the wrong perfume, moaning in the wrong key, touching him like she had any claim to him—made his skin crawl. And meanwhile, Mikasa had her arms clamped around his neck, fitting herself against him like they were matching puzzle pieces, calling herself a slut and begging him to forgive her with tears pooling in her eyes and spilling down her face, wetting his work polo as she peppered his shoulders with kisses and tugged on his pants.

The apologies and the tears had been gratifying. Her desperation for him had turned him on. This guilt was just for him, and it was far more brutal than any she felt for cheating on her husband.

And, again, he wasn’t stupid. He knew that if Willy dumped her, she would lose everything. She had to play nice now and then. She had a minefield to navigate when it came to her husband, and Eren was only the side piece. If he wanted her, he had to share her.

For now.

He looked down at her, his unexpected morning guest. She was grinding against him, all clingy and horny, sliding her hands across his naked skin and leaving hickies on his chest as she maneuvered them both towards his bed. His dick throbbed.

He liked her like this.

“Did you two have a good time last night?” he asked in a low, halfway poisonous voice, kneading his fingers into her ass.

“You know I hated it,” she spat, planting her palm on his sternum and shoving.

His lips curled into a wicked grin as he fell back on his mattress.

Mikasa climbed on top of him, straddling his thighs as she stripped off her shirt. His hands were on her tits in an instant, thumbs dipping inside her bra cups to tease her nipples into hard, dark points.

Mikasa bit her lip, arching her back and reaching behind her to unhook her bra. It fell away from her breasts, releasing their weight into Eren’s eager palms while she rolled her hips, teasing herself along the length of his rock hard cock. Eren hissed with pleasure.

She looked down at him, raking her gaze across his body. Her eyes were red-rimmed and hungry. A shiver of anticipation ran up his spine.

Mikasa bent down to kiss him, catching his lower lip between her teeth and running her tongue along it as indulgently as she would a chocolate-covered strawberry. Eren let out a soft moan and grabbed her waist, rocking his hips between her thighs.

“Take your fucking leggings off,” he mumbled into her mouth. “I want to feel that whore cunt dripping on me.”

Mikasa’s breath hitched and she released his lip to kiss him, hard, as she lifted her ass up in the air and shimmied out of her bottoms. It was taking too long, so Eren shucked off his boxers and helped her, yanking her leggings down her calves and over her feet, one leg at a time. He slid his hands back up her bare skin and gripped her at her hip creases as she lowered herself back onto his lap, resting herself on top of his cock, trapping it between them.

Her cunt was hot and slick with desire. Propping herself above him with one arm, she slid along his length with a low moan and ducked her head to suckle his throat. Her breasts squished against his chest and her free hand roamed across his body.

“I need you, Eren,” she whispered, her lips at his jaw.

He turned his head to kiss her, moving his pelvis with hers. She whimpered, high and needy, writhing on top of him.

He ran his palm over the curve of her ass and down between her legs, sliding his two middle fingers inside her. Her mouth fell open against his and she let out a soft moan. She was soaking wet, drenching him down to the bottom knuckle.

“You should make a sex tape with Willy,” Eren said. His voice was harsh and low. “Then I can watch him fuck you. Learn his tricks.”

She started drying up around his fingers as soon as he said her husband’s name. It was more reassuring than anything she could have said to him.

She pushed herself up to look at him, her kiss-swollen lips pulled into a reluctant frown. “Do you… Do you really want me to?”

In the wake of a night with her husband, she was prone to give Eren anything he asked for. Last time, he’d had her to masturbate for him over video call while Willy slept next to her.

He shook his head. “Sorry. No. That was a bad joke. Come here.” He pulled her back down and kissed her. “I don’t want that. I want you all to myself.”

To his extreme satisfaction, that got her wet again. The rest of the tension went out of his shoulders, even though his heart still hurt.

“I want that, too,” she sighed, burying her face in his neck. She swirled her tongue over his skin and nipped him. “I don’t want anyone else but you.” She kissed his collarbone, then his chest. “How can I prove it to you?”

She slid her hand down his abdomen towards his throbbing cock.

He knew what she was thinking, but he had something else in mind besides a blowjob.

“Let me give you a hickey.”

She paused, biting her lip with a worried expression.

“I’ll hide it,” he said, massaging her tits and rocking his cock against her clit. She whimpered and bit her lip harder.

“Where?” she managed to get out.

Eren hauled her into a position where he could push her breasts up and kiss her rib underneath. “Left or right?” he asked, circling his tongue over her smooth, salty skin.

She moaned, thrusting her chest towards his face. “Um… Whichever,” she mumbled.

He eased his fingers back inside her cunt and began to work her tight walls as he squeezed her nipple and lifted his mouth to just beneath her left breast, sucking the thin flesh between his teeth until it bruised

Mikasa let out a helpless moan, drenching his fingers. He plunged them deep inside of her, stroking her g-spot. A shudder of pleasure ran through her.

“One day, I’m not going to have to be careful,” he promised, adding a finger. “I’m going to mark you up and it won’t matter who sees.”

She began to make those little pre-orgasm noises that made him want to fuck her until he couldn’t move anymore.

He gave her a few more pumps, then slid his fingers out of her and smeared her juices across her pout before he pulled her down to kiss her, relishing the flavor of her cunt on his tongue and the crush of her breasts against his chest.

She was already reaching between them, wrapping her hand around his shaft and positioning him between her legs.

He dropped back onto the mattress to watch as she eased herself down on his cock, groaning as she stretched to take him. He wasn’t going to last long, but it looked like she wasn’t, either. She was already trembling with need as she planted her hands on his chest and began to ride him.

She was gorgeous—cheeks pink, breasts bouncing and thighs jiggling, her body glistening with sweat. His breath came in hard bursts as he moved his hips with hers, clutching her waist.

She squeezed her eyes shut and her mouth fell open. Her undulations began to falter.

“It feels too good,” she gasped, thighs tensing. “I can't– I need you to–”

In one motion, Eren rolled them both over and hooked her knees over his arms.

She gasped, clinging to his shoulders. He slammed into her. She dug her fingernails into his skin with a desperate whine. Her back arched and her toes curled.

“Ah! Oh, god! Eren!” she keened.

He thrust again. She began to shake, writhing beneath him and clawing at his back, hips rocking as she came. He growled, fucking her harder. His entire body was on fire, his own orgasm building to an irresistible pressure. He buried himself as deep as she could take him and exploded inside her, filling her with his cum.

He released her legs and collapsed halfway on top of her. She was panting and dazed, too blissed out to move. He dipped a finger between her legs to catch some of his cum and held it to her lips. She licked it up and let out a soft, satisfied sigh.

He reached across her for his abandoned phone and set an alarm for fifteen minutes. He needed to get ready for work, but he could spare a little more time. He tossed it down and pulled her against him, nuzzling her bare shoulder.

They spent the quarter hour tangled together in a dreamy silence that felt both endless and ephemeral. Eren wished it could last. He wished that there was nowhere either of them had to be, and that, just once, they could lay in his bed all day, not doing anything.

Just before his alarm went off, Mikasa began to stir, stretching and cuddling up to him.

“That was good,” she murmured. “That almost knocked me out.”

“You can stay here and take a nap if you want to,” Eren offered.

Mikasa hummed and shook her head. “I can’t. I have errands. Appointments.”

“Appointments? What for?” said Eren. “Are you sick?”

“No, it’s nothing serious. Getting my hair trimmed. Stuff like that.”

“Ah, said Eren, nodding. His phone went off and he silenced it, dragging himself out of bed and going to grab his now lukewarm coffee. “Do you want me to make you some?” he offered after draining his mug.

“I’m okay,” said Mikasa. She sat up and ran her hand through her bangs. Her jet black hair was standing up all over her head. She yawned. “I’m sorry. I hope you won’t be late for work because of me.”

“It’ll be fine,” said Eren, glancing at his phone clock. “Just gotta shower off and get dressed.”

“And eat breakfast,” Mikasa reminded him.

He shrugged. “I can grab a protein bar from the vending machine at work if I get too hungry,” he said, heading for the bathroom.

As soon as the door was shut behind him, all his feelings crashed into him like a wall. He hunched over the sink, gripping its edges and grimacing. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He felt for the shower knob and cranked it on, wiping his eyes as silent sobs racked his body. He stepped under the water and soaped up while he wept. He couldn’t let Mikasa see his devastation. If she thought their relationship was hurting him, she might try to end it for his own sake. That would be infinitely worse than an occasional day like this one.

“Fuck,” he whimpered, hanging his head. He had to pull it together. Once again, time was a luxury he did not have. He’d have to wait until tonight if he wanted to cry about it more. He made a cup out of his hands to catch the falling water, then splashed it on his face. Then, he took several deep breaths, shook himself out, and turned off the shower. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his hips, then, with one more deep breath, he plastered a lazy grin across his face and opened the door.

The smell of frying eggs took him by surprise. His mouth started to water. Mikasa had gotten dressed and was standing in his small kitchen space, busy with his frying pan.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Making you breakfast,” she said, sliding the eggs onto a plate, then tossing two slices of buttered bread into the pan. She toasted each side, then sandwiched the eggs between them and handed Eren the plate. “Sorry it’s so plain. You don’t have a lot of food in your fridge,” she said.

“You made this for me?” he said.

“Of course,” she said, boosting up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “You deserve something better than a protein bar for breakfast.”

“Thank you,” he said, looking down at his food. She had never cooked for him before. She had never been over at his place in the morning before. This is what he wanted all the time, not to be locked in endless competition with a man Eren couldn’t truly beat. As long as Willy held their children over Mikasa’s head, Eren would never be anything but secondary.

Besides, beyond that first day when they hooked up in the private training room at the gym, Mikasa had never said anything else to him about wanting to leave her husband. She only ever reminded him that she couldn’t. Maybe she didn’t want things to change.

Mikasa studied him. “Eren, were you crying?” she said. “Your eyes are red.”

“Nope,” he said. “Everything is great.” He leaned down to kiss her, then tore into his sandwich.

Mikasa didn’t look convinced, but she leaned back against the counter and watched him eat.

“I love you, Eren,” she said. “I’m sorry things can’t be more fair to you.” She swallowed, her eyes turning glassy. “If it’s too–”

“It’s fine!” said Eren. “I’m fine.” He gave her a reassuring smile. “Everything is fine.” He wolfed down the rest of his sandwich.

Mikasa rubbed her arm. “Is it okay if I use your shower? I should clean up before I do my errands and I don’t want to drive all the way home.”

“What’s mine is yours,” said Eren. “I’ve got to get dressed and head out, so just lock up when you’re done.”

“Okay,” said Mikasa.

They kissed one more time, and then she disappeared into his bathroom. Eren stood in the middle of his studio, staring at nothing for a moment, then hurried to his dresser for his clothes.

***

Mikasa hugged herself, watching the lawyer read through her pre-nup. She felt underdressed compared to the other woman’s blazer and pencil skirt, and she wondered if she should have worn something nicer for the consultation. But, she supposed, Willy would have wanted to know why she was putting on high heels and slacks to take the kids to school, so it was probably better that she hadn’t.

The lawyer turned the last page of the document, eyes skimming the paper until they reached the bottom. Then, she tutted and set it down. “What an asshole,” she said.

Mikasa let out a startled laugh. She wasn’t expecting such candor. “Yeah,” she said.

The lawyer let out a long breath, then folded her hands together and fixed her gaze on Mikasa. “I’ll be honest with you. I do think that there’s a good chance we could contest this and win. However, I can’t make any promises. It depends a lot on the judge and your husband’s legal counsel. Plus, if he’s the kind of guy I think he is after reading this, he’s not going to make it easy for you. This is not going to be cheap and, while there’s definitely a chance we could get him to pay your lawyer’s fees as part of your divorce agreement, I also can’t promise that. I don’t want you going into this blind and I don’t want you to feel like I misrepresented what I can do for you.”

Mikasa swallowed. “How much do you think it would cost?” she asked. She had been getting cash back at the grocery store and squirreling it away for the past couple of months, but it wasn’t much and she’d already spent most of it on this consultation.

The lawyer shook her head. “I can’t say. It depends how litigious your husband is willing to get.”

Mikasa looked down at her lap and nodded. “I see.”

“I do accept payment plans.”

“I don’t… I don’t work,” Mikasa admitted. “Even a payment plan would be… I don’t know if I can…” She hung her head.

“It’s okay,” said the lawyer. “I would love to represent you, but that doesn’t mean we need to jump straight into divorce proceedings. Sometimes it’s better to wait. Maybe we hold off on filing for now while you get your ducks in a row. Who knows, maybe you can even find a way to convince him to change the pre-nup to be more equitable.”

Mikasa’s face twisted and her eyes stung.

“I know that could very well be impossible,” the lawyer said, her matter-of-fact tone softening.

“It is,” Mikasa said, her throat closing on the words. He’d had that vicious thing drawn up back when he loved her, or claimed to. She couldn't imagine a new version would be kinder now. She could only imagine his reaction if she asked. A tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away, hoping the lawyer hadn’t noticed.

The lawyer gave her a sad smile and slid the copy of the prenup over to her. “It’s up to you how you would like to proceed. And when.”

Mikasa took the thin packet and held it to her chest. “Can I have some time to think about it?” she asked.

“Of course,” said the lawyer.

“Thank you,” said Mikasa, standing up to go. The lawyer walked her to the door, then, after exchanging goodbyes, Mikasa headed for her car.

So that was it. Another roadblock. Mikasa got into her driver’s seat and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. She didn’t want to keep living like this, but what was she supposed to do? She was trapped. Her starry-eyed younger self had fucked her over.

She gave herself a few minutes to wallow in hopelessness, then steeled herself and began the drive back home. She would find a way.