AN: I'm sorry this sucks so much. I have absolutely no writing talent, but I tried to make something. If this hurts your eyes too much, I apologize. This is my first story, and if there is one person who doesn't pull an Oedipus after reading my awful words and wants me to continue writing this story, tell me. This is part of a series called "The Birthdays of the Scouting Legion." I will update a new chapter every Monday.
Hange anxiously knocked on Erwin's door, and then let herself in. The commander looked up at Hange from his leather seat behind his desk. "Commander Hange, please sit down." Erwin warmly stated. "Chief Erwin," Hange said, barely containing her zeal, "Tomorrow is the birthday of Mikasa Ackerman." Erwin nodded at this. "Tomorrow is the day our issue comes to an end; That is if we play our cards right." He calmly replied. "Tomorrow will be the day Corporal Levi realizes his true feelings." Erwin added. Suddenly, Hange jumped out of her seat. "Oh, yes that's it!" Hange wickedly smiled at Chief Erwin. "We can go to the Jinzō Lake! This way I can make a game of things and bring those two together." Hange grinned. "Isn't that the lake humanity made as a tourist attraction?" Chief Erwin asked. "Yes it is! Now, what do you say?" Hange said, with a glint in her eye that told Erwin she already had a plan in mind. "That sounds perfect. I have a feeling our plans will not fail." Erwin replied as he folded his hands together.
Levi was just finishing putting on his cravat, when there was a sudden crash from outside. "What the hell did those brats do now?" He mumbled to himself as he walked towards his bedroom window. Outside the castle were Eren and Jean, who were fighting next to a fallen clothesline pole. Levi stared in horror at the now mud covered bed sheets that were once white. Now they'll get it. Levi thought to himself as he opened the window. "Yeager! Kirstien! You two brats have double cleaning chores for the entire month!" He yelled at them out of his window with a smirk. Then, he closed his window without seeing their reaction to the horrendous news. Levi looked over at his mirror another time, wanting to look as pristine and proper as he could, especially because it was a special day. It was Mikasa's birthday.
Levi was walking towards the dining room surprisingly fast, considering he usually walked slowly as he inspected the conditions of every inch of the halls on his way there. Yet now, he wanted to get to the dining hall earlier today to see Mikasa on her special day. What am I talking about? I'm just really hungry! Levi thought to himself as he realized what he had thought been thinking. When he got to the dining hall, Mikasa wasn't there. Levi tried to hide his disappointment as he sat in his usual seat. Levi actually felt excited about something that wasn't cleaning related; He wanted to give Mikasa his birthday gift. Levi put his hand into his pocket to make sure his gift was there. He pulled out a Survey Corps necklace out of his pocket, and sighed in relief.
Eren and Armin were going into the dining hall, and when they arrived, they walked towards the table where Levi, Jean, Marco, Connie, Sasha, and Krista were sitting. "Good morning, Captain Levi!" Eren and Armin said in unison, causing Levi to look up at them from his tea. "Good Morning." He bluntly replied. "Wow, Captain is quite talkative today!" Jean exclaimed. "He didn't even call them brats!" He added before receiving a glare from Levi. Eren and Armin sat down right as Mikasa walked in. "Hey Mikasa! Happy birthday!" Eren said as he stood up from his seat. Mikasa covered her face with her red scarf. "Thank you, Eren. Good Morning, everyone." She said as she took the only other seat next to Eren, which was also next to Levi.
Levi tried to look at Mikasa without drawing any attention to himself. She is so beautiful. He held his cup by the rim and quietly drank his tea. "So, are we doing anything to celebrate your birthday, Mikasa?" Marco enthusiastically asked. "I don't really care for my birthday. It's just another day after all." Mikasa replied. "In the Survey Corps, birthdays are somewhat a bigger deal." Levi said in his usual monotone voice. He looked up when he heard Hange approaching. "Happy birthday." Hange said."I was thinking that for your birthday we could all go to the Jinzō Lake!" Hange grinned. "I don't really know…" Mikasa began, before being interrupted by Eren. "I think that sounds really fun." Eren smiled. "Well, I guess we can go." Mikasa agreed. Everyone but Levi smiled and laughed with anticipation of the idea. Even though Yeager had not done anything wrong, the way that Eren didn't seem to notice the way that Mikasa followed him around annoyed Levi. Why does she always agree with whatever Yeager says? He is not worthy of her! "Corporal, won't you come with us?" Historia asked him. Since Mikasa is going, I'll go too. "Yes, you brat." Levi replied. "Yes! Alright, come back in an hour. Make sure you have everything you need for two nights. I'll bring the tents." Hange said. I hope I can get some extra cleaning done by then….
Levi had finished his packing quickly, and spent the rest of the hour cleaning his living quarters. Now, he was waiting outside the castle with Sasha, Jean, Christa, Marco, and Connie. "Wow, Captain, you sure do have a lot of stuff with you." Jean said. "Do you have a problem with that, brat?" Levi said as he shot Jean a glare. "No, of course not!" Jean nervously laughed. What a brat. Just then, Mikasa, Eren, Armin, and Hange came. "Okay, make sure your things are in the carriage and grab a horse. Let's go!" Hange said as she got on her horse, and began to lead the way. Everyone began riding off behind her, and Levi followed.
Hange, as planned had only brought five tents. This way, she and Levi had to share with someone because they had the bigger tents. "Hange, you idiot!" Levi grumbled. "Whoops…" Hange said with a chuckle. No one wanted to sleep in the same tent with either of the two; Levi for obvious reasons, and Hange because she was just crazy. Everyone ran into a tent and claimed their territory; Even Armin left Mikasa and Eren. They were the only two left. "Being in the same situation as them must suck. Corporal Levi will probably be cleaning everything, and obsessing over the smallest fingerprints. If Eren slept within a twenty meter range from Hange, she would conduct experiments on him in his sleep." Jean snickered. "That's not very nice, Jean!" The other tent occupant, Marco said. "Eren, why don't you come with me?" Hange said as she pulled and his belongings with her and into her tent, without waiting for a response from him. Levi sighed to himself and looked at Mikasa.
They were beginning to move their trunks and items inside the huge green tent, and after Mikasa finished bringing her few things inside, she began to lift one of the larger of Levi's trunks. "Oi, what are you doing, you brat?" Levi asked, looking at the raven-haired girl. He had just come back from the inside of the tent. "What do you think I'm doing? I am helping you bring your things inside." Mikasa said with a smirk as she stood at the entrance which was now blocked by the short captain as he looked at her with his usual blank expression. "Why is that? I am perfectly capable of carrying my own belongings." The captain said as he took the trunk Mikasa was formerly holding. "It didn't seem like you could reach the handle for them, you midget." Mikasa said as she walked into the tent and sat down on her mat. Levi had begun unpacking his things, and it turned out that most of his trunks were only filled with cleaning supplies. Levi actually looked giddy; he was even smiling as he placed his supplies in their spots. Mikasa knew that he was a clean freak, but this is just crazy. They were only staying here for two days. Is he serious? Yes he was.
"I have an idea!" Hange yelled after everyone had gone outside of their tents to meet up with each other. They were all wearing shorts and clothes they didn't mind getting wet. Everyone but Levi groaned because of their experiences with Hange's painful ideas. "Why don't we play a game of catch? Let's make two teams!" Hange grinned because this was part of her and Erwin's plan. "That actually sounds pretty fun!" Marco smiled, his freckles shining in the sunlight. "It doesn't even sound painful, Hange!" Connie said lightheartedly. "Why don't we add some stipulations, and make this a little fun?" Hange laughed, although it was a quite scary laugh. "Losing team has to do whatever the winning team says." Jean said with a smirk. "There goes the painless part…" Krista said with a nervous laugh.
"Let's make team Captain Levi and a team for Mikasa Ackerman. Mikasa can choose her team and Levi can get everyone else." Hange suggested. "Alright; I'll choose Eren, Armin, Jean, and Marco for my team." Mikasa said as she adjusted her red scarf, which she still wore despite being on the grass next to a lake. "Let's go!" Hange said as she ran into the shore of the lake.
Everyone was having fun playing catch, well mostly everyone. Meanwhile everyone was enjoying themselves, and having a good time, Mikasa and Levi were taking this game too seriously. They were making flips and running up to the ball to catch it. When they were the ones throwing the ball, they threw it so hard, whoever caught it fell over. One time, Levi had thrown the ball to Marco, and Marco fell backwards and his pants fell down too. Jean's ears turned red when he saw this. He even has freckles on his… Marco was so embarrassed he ran away, with Jean following him. They had played for about half an hour, when Eren did not catch the ball and Mikasa's team had lost. "Ha! Eren, it was easier to beat you than I expected." Sasha giggled jumping up and down in glee. Even Levi had to comment on Eren's loss, "Oi, Yeager, I expected at least some challenge. But that game insulted that expectation. You were too easy to beat." Levi said with a bland expression. "Shut up, Captain Shorty." Mikasa grumbled, giving Levi a death stare the same as his response to this comment. Jean and Marco came back now, looking suspicious as they walked quickly and wouldn't look at each other. Hange eyed them as they came to the group. I wonder what happened with them. Wait. What if they…? Oh, this trip is already a lot more entertaining than I expected! "Now let's choose what each member of the losing team has to do for us!" Krista said as she nudged Connie. "Jean, you have to do my chores for the next two weeks!" Krista said nodding her head along with Connie. Jean looked at Levi with a terrified expression. He already had twice the amount of cleaning to do before this and now he would have to do that much more cleaning and that meant more judgment and insult from Levi for his 'disgusting' work. "Marco, my dear friend," Sasha said with drool coming out of her mouth. "You have to give me half of your food portions until next month." Marco gave a nervous smile and nodded. "Eren," Hange said getting one of her crazy looks. "You have to let me do several experiments on you at a time of my choosing." Mikasa bit her lip and snarled at Hange, "He doesn't have to do anything! I won't allow it." Levi rolled his eyes and said to the raven-haired girl, "Yes he does, you brat. You don't have to do anything, Ackerman. That is only because it is your birthday. You too, Arlert. If you two were as annoying as Yeager, I would make punish you brats."
Everyone returned to their tents after the long day. When they were leaving, Hange gave them all articles of clothing that she said were water-proof. Mikasa had sat down on her mat inside Levi's tent, and he sipped some tea that Armin had made for him using the fire outside the tents. "Did you have a good time today, Ackerman?" Levi said out of nowhere, causing Mikasa's eyes to widen. Levi never showed an interest in the feelings of anyone. "I…" Mikasa began to think back to when she and Eren were walking back to their tents. Despite Mikasa's hopes of him thinking of her in the way she thought of him, when they were going back to their tents, all he'd done was smile and say goodbye and go to the tent he shared with Hange. Mikasa had begun to cry thinking back to her major disappointment. Levi, seeing her tears, stood up from his chair, and sat next to where Mikasa was sitting. His eyes showed concern, "Mikasa, what is wrong?" Levi's voice was soft and he stayed next to Mikasa. Mikasa's cheeks burned, and she pulled up her scarf to cover her cheeks. "Nothing. I'm fine." Levi frowned but didn't say anything about it. Levi's hand went into the pocket of his pants. He made a shocked expression, and began to speak, "I forgot to give you something." He took his hand out and held up a Survey Corps necklace. "Do you like it?" Mikasa nodded, and the captain turned her around. His warm hands held up her hair, and remained there. Mikasa began to blush but couldn't cover her face with her scarf. Then, Levi's hands slowly went to her neck and put the necklace on her. He still didn't move his hands right away. "Get some rest, you're probably tired."
Late at night, Mikasa woke to the sound of a voice. She sat up and saw Levi sleeping, while muttering to himself. She quietly began to crawl to his mat. She couldn't make out exactly what he was saying, but she heard the words, "Petra... Erd... So sorry..."
Mikasa's eyes widened. Eren had told her about the old Survey Corps team. She knew that Petra was on it, and the entire team besides Levi and Eren was killed by the Female Titan during the last expedition. Mikasa sat next to the captain, and gasped at the awaiting surprise. Tears were streaming out of Levi's eyes, and Mikasa instantly had the urge to comfort him. Mikasa didn't do anything for a while. She spent some time admiring his angelic. Although she had always known he was handsome, Levi looked beautiful without his constant scowl consuming his face. After coming out of her trance, Mikasa put out her hand and began to gently take away the tears from Levi's face with her calloused finger. The captain instantly woke up, but when he saw it was only Mikasa his face softened. Levi didn't say anything to her. Instead he embraced her, with tears streaming down his face. Mikasa didn't stop him.