Summary: Mikasa is spending her birthday retrieving Eren from a bar with the help of Levi. This piece was written for the RivaMikaWeek on Tumblr. The prompt for Day two was anything revolving around Mikasa's birthday.
Title: The White Box –Modern AU-
Pairing: Levi x Mikasa
Mikasa tapped her finger against the table with growing frustration. It was almost eleven at night and she still hadn't finished her paper on for her psychology class the next day. In fact she hadn't even started it. It wasn't completely her fault after all, her adoptive brother, Eren, and childhood friend, Armin, insisted that she had gone out with them to celebrate the fact Eren had not failed his mid-term and that her birthday was tomorrow. Mikasa tried to get out of it saying that she had a lot of homework that needed to be completed and she really should start it but that only made Eren beg her to hang out with them even more. Mikasa let out a sigh and got up from the table to refill her glass of water. She didn't know why she was having more trouble with the paper than usual; normally she could finish her papers with ease and have them done within a few hours. Maybe it was the topic; it was something she was skeptic about She thought of how the professor gave her that knowing look when she handed her the prompt and how she herself had to read the paper twice just to make sure she was seeing it clearly. Her professor wanted her to write a detailed and descriptive piece on how love is experience between a man and a woman and not just a platonic emotion between friends and family. Of course Mikasa believe that love cannot be felt between a man and a woman but as for her reasons why she felt this way she had none. She never really had to justify why she believed that love was this way before, no one really challenged her about it and easily accepted that that was just how she was. Mikasa looked over at her laptop on the kitchen table and frowned. Why did she have to get assigned this topic? Wouldn't it have been easier on her professor if she were assigned something she was comfortable with and not something she had no clue of? There was a knock on the door to her dorm that pulled her out of her thoughts and she made her way to the door to see who was there. She opened it and her face instantly changed into scowl.
"What could I possible help you with Levi?" she muttered as she leaned up against the door and crossed her arms.
Levi looked at her with his usual composed expression.
"Is that how you treat people after having a date with them?"
Mikasa narrowed her eyes.
"That was a blind date and you know it. If I had know how rude and short you where I wouldn't have even showed up."
Levi's lips turned up at the corners in smile? Grimace? Mikasa couldn't really tell because it was gone as quickly as it came.
"I wouldn't have showed up either if I had know about your unhealthy relationship with your brother." Mikasa's eyes widened.
"How dare you! My relationship with Eren is none of your concern!" Levi nodded slightly and held up his hands in surrender.
"I didn't come here to fight with you. I actually came to give you something and to tell you that Eren called me by mistake. He sounded pretty drunk and asked if you could come pick him up from the bar."
Mikasa groaned and dragged her hands down her face.
"You have got to be kidding me. Isn't he with Armin? Can't he take him home?"
Levi shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently Arlert had some sense to go home after he felt he had to much. Your idiot brother on the other hand…" he trailed off and gave Mikasa a look that asked to be punched. Mikasa thought about laying one on him but decided against it.
"Fine I got it." She turned and walked back into her dorm, letting the door close behind her. She went to her closet and pulled out her gray hoodie and wiggled into an old pair of blue jeans. Grabbing her keys and phone she opened up the door again and was startled to see Levi still standing there.
"Why are you still here?" she asked closing her door behind her and began walking down the hallway toward the stairs.
"I'm coming with you. Young girls shouldn't go to a bar at night by themselves. They could get taken advantage of." He said following her down the stairs one by one.
Mikasa snorted as she tied her hair into a messy ponytail. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and look back up at him.
"You're only two years older than me, besides I can take care of myself thank you very much." Levi stopped on the step above her and just looked at her.
"Your hair got longer."
Mikasa's eyes widened. She pulled her ponytail in front of her and looked at it. She had let it grow out so she could have long hair again.
"Yea, I missed having long hair so I decided to let it grow out again."
Levi leaned forward and let his fingers grasp onto her hair and softly moved it between his fingers.
"It looks nice. You look prettier with long hair."
Mikasa felt her cheeks blush and she stepped back away from him.
"I...we should go. We need to get Eren." She turned on her heels and headed out the door. She didn't have to turn to check if Levi was following her, she could feel his presence so easily that it was like breathing.
They arrived at the bar Eren had allegedly said he was at. Mikasa looked through the crowed for the familiar brown hair that she had come so accustomed too.
"I don't see him." She said turning her head to look over at Levi.
"I'll go check the bathroom. Maybe he is puking or taking a dump." He looked at her and pointed at the spot she was standing.
"Don't move from here. I don't need you getting in trouble or disappearing on me." He left her side and worked his way through the mass of human bodies toward the bathroom.
Mikasa watched his back recede as she leaned her back against the wall. She was surprised that she didn't snap at him like she would have. Maybe it was the fact that he did have a point. He couldn't possible look for her if he had a drunk Eren to worry about and its not like she could just waltz into the men's restroom just to see if her brother was getting sick into a toilet. Or maybe it was another reason, the reason that kept her up some nights when he slipped into her dreams, or when she would accidentally run into him on campus and her heart started to beat a little faster. She wasn't going to lie when she went on that blind date she did find Levi very attractive and to be honest he wasn't as rude as she made him out to be. He had been polite but the way he had worded his sentences made her angry. He was so blunt and honest when he said that she talked about her brother the same way someone would have talked about his or her boyfriend or girlfriend. After that they just argued the rest of the night until she eventually had enough and left. She did keep seeing him around campus though, and even though she tried to pretend she didn't care she did enjoy running into him. Until he opened his mouth and said something that annoyed her.
A hand tapped her on her shoulder. She turned and saw that it was Marco.
"Marco, its rare to see you out at a place like this." She commented.
Marco gave her a warm smile, "Jean made me come out with him. He said he needed to drown his sorrows and misery. You're here for Eren yes?"
Mikasa nodded, "Yes, he called saying he was too drunk to get home. Have you seen him?"
"He is over with Jean. I asked him to join us so that I could keep him from drinking even more." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Although I think Jean is trying to challenge him in a chugging contest."
Mikasa followed Marco to the table that held Jean and Eren. Jean was leaning over the table pointing at Eren and saying something along the lines that Eren was not man enough to face him in a chugging contest. Eren had his head in the palm of his hand and looked as if he wanted to be anywhere but here. Mikasa put her hand on Eren's shoulder.
"Hey, lets get you home."
Eren looked up at Mikasa and nodded. With her assistance he managed to stand and they made their way out of the bar. She leaned Eren against the wall, the minute she let him go he slid down and landed roughly on his bum. Mikasa squatted in front of him and patted his pockets.
"Eren I need you phone. Which pocket is it in?" Eren stuffed his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.
"Hey…" He squinted at the time that displayed on the screen before Mikasa took it away from him and began scrolling through his contacts. After finding Levi's number the hit send and waited for him to answer.
"Isn't today the 10th?" Eren mumbled covering his mouth quickly to ward off the wave of sickness he felt.
Mikasa was about to answer when the line connected and she heard Levi's gruff hello.
"Hey, its me. Eren and I are outside."
She hung up the phone and placed it back into Eren's pocket.
"If your going to get sick its best if you do it now. I don't want you puking on my clothes later."
Eren tried to give her a smile but quickly turned to his left and emptied out his stomach. Mikasa sighed and stood up just as Levi exited the bar. He walked over and stood next to her. Eren wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and gave a sloppy smile.
"Sorry…" he mumbled trying to stand up. Levi grabbed one of Eren's arms and put it over his shoulders.
"Puke on me and I will end you, got it brat?"
Eren just nodded and looked over at Mikasa.
"Sorry I ruined your birthday."
Mikasa simply shook her head and took his other arm and placed it over her shoulder.
They didn't make it down the block before Eren threw up again.
Mikasa threw her old blanket over a now sleeping Eren who now resided on her couch.
She walked into the kitchen area to see Levi vigorously trying to remove the puke stain on his shirt with a damp washcloth. She sat down at the table and laid her head in her palm.
"Thank you for your help, and sorry about your shirt." Levi tossed the cloth into the sink and stood in front of her.
"Its fine, I'll get back at him eventually. The thought of him having a hangover tomorrow will help me sleep easy until then."
Mikasa couldn't help but give a small laugh. She got up from the chair and motioned toward the door.
"Hate to repay you by kicking you out but I have a paper to finish and I would like to go to bed soon." Nodding Levi followed Mikasa to the door. He turned toward her and grabbed her hand; gently he placed a white box into it. She looked from the box to his face a caught the softest expression she had ever seen him make. His eyes were filled with this emotion Mikasa thought didn't even exist. He leaned forward slowly and kissed her forehead carefully. Moving back he opened the door, looked over his shoulder and smiled.
"Happy birthday Mikasa."
Mikasa stood there staring as the door closed. She raised her hand not hold the box to her forehead and lightly touches the spot that was still warm from his kiss. Her eyes traveled to the box in her hand and she carefully removed the lid. Inside laid a silver ring with a chain looped through it. She pulled it out and studied it. The ring was engraved with small flower pedals leading toward a pair of angel wings. She looked at the bottom of the box and pulled out the folded piece of paper and the ring and its chain had been resting on top of. Opening it she read the words and could help but smile. Written on the paper in his careful handwriting was a small note:
Mikasa, you can choose to hate me or love me, but I am choosing the latter. Happy Birthday.
Yours truly,
~Levi