Attack on Titan
As the snow descended upon the Shiganshina District, one of the people looking out the window from the safety of their comfy homes was Mikasa Ackerman. Not only was it snowing, it was also Christmas Eve. More importantly, it was Mikasa's first Christmas with the Jaegars. And, she realized sadly, her first Christmas spent without her parents. Mikasa pulled the maroon scarf worn around her neck up higher to cover her mouth and nose. Almost against her volition, a memory came to mind.
SnkSnKSnK
"Dad!" A young Mikasa exclaimed as she scrambled onto her father's lap as he sat on the couch.
"What is it Mikasa?" Mr. Ackerman asked, smiling as his daughter looked up at him with her silver eyes.
"Can you read me a story?" Mikasa inquired, her silver eyes pleading. "About Christmas?"
Chuckling to himself, Mr. Ackerman put his daughter next to him on the couch. "Sure, I'll get a book while you get your mother."
Smiling, Mikasa bounded up from the couch to find her moth before pulling her with her to the living room where her father was sitting comfortably on the couch. Her father had a book in hand as an indigo blanket was covering his legs. Mikasa sat next to her father as her mother sat next to her. Opening the book, Mr. Ackerman began to read.
"Once there was a quiet shopkeeper," Mr. Ackerman started. "and while he may have had a steady income selling toys and making people smile, he was terribly lonely."
"Why was he lonely?" Mikasa piped in.
"Shh Mikasa," Mrs. Ackerman hushed not unkindly. "I'm sure he's getting to that."
"Yep," Mr. Ackerman said before turning his attention back to the book. "anyway, while the man had a steady income and brought joy to the hearts of many, he felt horribly empty on the inside."
Mr. Ackerman took a moment to pause dramatically before continuing, "But that all changed on Christmas Eve. Due to the holiday bustle and hustle, the man was taking longer than usual to close the shop. Before he locked the door though, a woman came up to him and asked if they were still open. Shaking his head, the man said they weren't."
"The woman looked down at the ground and sighed, saying that she wished to buy something for her two children. That piqued the man's interest. Looking at her downcast expression, he decided to be lenient and opened the door to the store."
"Her face immediately lit up and the man was suddenly aware of how beautiful she was while she walked into the store. After she bought a few toys for children, the man felt the inexplicable need to walk her home. Asking if he could after locking up the door to the store, she agreed to it."
"As he walked her home, they engaged in sociable conversation. He learned of her son and daughter while she learned of the family history of the shop. And as they talked, the man didn't feel the loneliness that ate away at him."
A small smirk appeared on Mr. Ackerman's face as he took in Mikasa's interested expression and his wife's fond look.
"He was saddened to leave as they reached her house. As the man stood outside her door with the woman he walked home, he dreaded leaving."
"And what happened next?" Mikasa asked, clearly intrigued.
"What happened next could be considered a Christmas Miracle," Mr. Ackerman continued. "at least in the eyes of the shopkeeper. He would find that he wouldn't have to go home alone as two things occurred. A blizzard was blowing outside and that the woman invited him in for some hot chocolate. In thanks for his kindness."
"Hot chocolate sounds delicious right about now," Mikasa interjected. "can we make some later?"
"Sure Mikasa," Mrs. Ackerman said with a smile. "to be fair, I'm craving some hot chocolate as well."
"We can make it a family thing." Mr. Ackerman suggested with a chuckle.
"I'd like that." Mikasa said, smiling.
"So, where was I in the story?" Mr. Ackerman wondered, more to himself than to anyone else.
"You were at the part where she offered him some hot chocolate," Mikasa answered helpfully.
"Right," Mr. Ackerman said before his eyes fell upon the most recent sentence he had read. "Soon after he accepted, he had a mug of piping hot chocolate in his hands and was watching the woman's children play on the ground. To his embarrassment and the woman's amusement, she had pointed out how he had a mustache made of hot chocolate. And that soon became the best night of his life and..." He trailed off as he turned to his wife. "Would you like to read the epilogue?"
Mrs. Ackerman smiled radiantly, which caused her husband to smile as well. "I'd love to."
She took the book from her husband before she began reading. "In the end, that fateful meeting proved to be life-changing for the both of them. As they talked which each other as they started to meet after several weeks, they soon fell in love. Talking turned to holding hands, holding hands went to hugging, and hugging led to kissing and doing much more together. The store became like their second home and every year that Christmas Eve would come around, they drank hot chocolate in remembrance of their first meeting."
Mrs. Ackerman closed the book as Mikasa yawned. "That was a sweet story."
"It was, wasn't it?" Mr. Ackerman agreed.
"Looks like someone is tired," Mrs. Ackerman commented after Mikasa yawned again. "I guess your father and I will just have to drink all the hot chocolate ourselves."
That alerted Mikasa right away. "I want some hot chocolate too!"
"Well then," Mr. Ackerman declared as he got up from the couch and clapped his hands. "What are we waiting around her for?"
The indigo blanket collapsed halfway on the couch and on the floor as Mikasa stood up, shortly followed by her mother.
"The hot chocolate won't make itself," Mrs. Ackerman said as they walked to the kitchen. "so let's get-what is it?"
Stepping across the threshold to the kitchen, Mr. Ackerman had grabbed his wife by the shoulders as he starred at her intently.
"Mistletoe." Mr. Ackerman explained, pointing upwards with a slight cheeky grin.
Mrs. Ackerman merely hummed before her husband had pressed his lips to hers.
They stopped gazing into each others' eyes when they pulled away as Mikasa came up to them holding some reagents for hot chocolate.
"Looks like someone wants some hot chocolate," Mr. Ackerman commented as he took the supplies from his daughter. "well, let's get started."
This was met with agreements from his wife and daughter.
SnkSnKSnK
Reality flickered back into view as Mikasa's memory passed. A few moments went by until Mikasa realized with a jolt that she had been crying. Soon, the pain of knowing that her parents were dead would become a dull ache, but for now, it would always feel like a fresh flesh wound. A masculine voice at her elbow put a stop to any other thoughts she may have been having.
"Mikasa," Eren Jaeger started as he stood behind her dressed in a winter coat, boots, and gloves. "What are you doing?"
Rubbing the tears from her silver eyes before she turned around Mikasa spoke, "Just looking out the window and thinking about my parents."
Eren's expression became more severe. His turquoise eyes becoming darkened. Most likely as a result from remembering the human traffickers. Before he could speak, Mikasa had walked over to him.
"Don't worry about it," Mikasa advised before forcing a smile. "let's play out in the snow instead."
Eren narrowed his gaze, seeing right through Mikasa attempt at a smile. Instead of pressing the issue though, he shrugged and followed Mikasa out of the house. No sooner had he come out the front door was Eren pelted in the face with a snowball.
"That was a dirty shot Mikasa," Eren commented, a small smile tugging at his lips. He leaned down to pack a snowball. "won't catch me off guard that easily next time."
Rising up, he threw the snowball at Mikasa, hitting her in her left shoulder.
Mikasa's forced smile turned into more of a smirk as she packed another snowball. "You want a snowball fight Eren?" She threw the snowball at his face. "Then you've got one."
They continued like that for a few more minutes as they continued throwing snowballs at each other. As they did, they got closer and closer before Eren tackled Mikasa.
"E-eren?!" Mikasa exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing?"
"What am I doing?" Eren repeated. He smirked. "I'm going to tickle you of course!"
"Wh-what?!" Mikasa spluttered.
"What's wrong Mikasa?" Eren asked. "Are you ticklish?"
"No, I'm not ticklish in the slightest." Mikasa replied, turning her head to the side.
"Oh really?" Eren inquired, disbelief coloring his voice. "Well, let's test that shall we?"
Faster than Mikasa could react, Eren was digging his fingers into her underarms.
"St-stop it Eren!" Mikasa cried, laughing. "I-I can't ta-take it!"
"This is for pelting me with so many snowballs!" A smile was on Eren's face as he continued tickling her. He moved from her underarms, to her sides, and back again. The tickling eliciting laughter from her all the while.
Quicker than Eren could register, Mikasa smirked and tackled him so she was now on top of him.
"Okay," Mikasa smirked. "my turn."
Although he tried to keep his arms closed to his sides, Mikasa moved his limbs and started to tickle his underarms.
"Mi-Mikasa!" Eren stuttered, laughing. "I-I ca-can't!"
Deciding that his reaction was enough, Mikasa got off and Eren to sit on the snowy ground. Eren took a shuddering breath to compose himself. "That wasn't funny Mikasa."
"Oh really?" Mikasa raised an eyebrow. "Well, neither were you when you were tickling me."
Mikasa shivered, drawing up her maroon scarf.
"Yeah, it's cold, isn't it?" Eren pondered as his breath came out in visible cold puffs. He turned to the black haired girl. "C'mon, let's go back inside and see if there's any hot chocolate to drink."
A small grateful smile graced her features. "I think I'd like that."
The two children walked back into the house. However, they were stopped by Eren's mother in front of them.
"What is it mom?" Eren asked.
"Look above you." Carla Jaeger suggested.
As the two children did, they both blushed a furious shade of crimson as they saw the plant looming above them. Mistletoe.
"Mom!" Eren shouted. "I'm not kissing Mikasa!"
Mikasa was currently too embarrassed to say anything.
"Eren, you'll hurt the poor girl's feelings if you say that." Carla said.
Crossing his arms indignantly, Eren looked away.
A few moments passed before Carla sighed good-naturedly before turning around. "Come on, why don't you two have some hot chocolate?"
At the mention of the steamy beverage, Eren instantly perked up as Mikasa came out of her haze.
Following his mother into the kitchen, the two of them accepted a mug of the holiday drink. As they drank it gratefully, Eren pulled the mug away from his mouth.
"Thanks mom," Eren said before turning to see Mikasa laughing at him. Narrowing his gaze, he spoke, "what's so funny?"
"Your mustache." Mikasa answered, chuckling.
Rubbing the back of his sleeve against his mouth, he found that he did indeed have a mustache from the drink. Glaring back at Mikasa, his expression softened before he too started to laugh.
"What's so funny?" Mikasa echoed defensively.
"Your mustache." Eren answered, laughing.
As they downed the beverages and took care of the mugs, they went to the living room to look outside the window.
"The snow is beautiful." Mikasa commented after several moments of silence.
"Huh?" Eren asked, startled. He was lost deep in his thoughts. The most pressing one being why Mikasa was crying earlier. He looked out the window. "Huh, I suppose it is."
The two of them rested there, looking outside the window as they enjoyed each others' company.
Author's Notes: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This story has been sitting around for a while now and I've just now decided to put it up. How lazy of me. Also, how foolish of me. Turns out Mikasa's eyes really are gray, not black. ...Whoops. Although, it depends on the lighting.
Cover Image? Same as my previous Attack on Titan Fanfiction.