Hello everyone! Happy birthday to our one and only Mikasa! Ok so just a warning this fic is all over the place. Words like *this* are supposed to be italicized. More will be explained at the end. I hope you enjoy!
Eren Jaeger laid in his bed, sighing for the umpteenth time. His right hand rested flat against his forehead, left running through his hair. He's been pondering the same thought for almost a half hour now: What am I gonna get Mikasa for her birthday?
The girl's birthday was tomorrow. Tomorrow! He waited far too long to think up a gift and now he's paying the price. Between training, fighting, and tests, he's been too busy to even talk to her, let alone ask her when her birthday was. Hell, he wouldn't have even remembered if Armin hadn't reminded him.
So here the brunet was, chewing on the inside of his cheek, thinking about a good gift to get an amazing girl.
God, this really was harder than he thought. She's turning, what, 16? 17? 16, he was sure, because he was 15. She was always technically one year older than him between her birthday and his. What gift to give Mikasa? Mikasa. She's not really... girly. But she's not manly either. She's kinda like a... a flower. Made of steel.
Eren puffed his chest. He thought about the gifts the others are getting her. Armin said Mikasa's been asking him questions about the world beyond the walls, and so he thought he'd give up his training her birthday week to teach her all he knows about the outside world. Sasha bought her a brand new dress and is cooking her up a feast with all her favourite foods, and he heard Jean is going to give her a painting he made her along with a bouquet of flowers (how cheap.) He had no idea what the others are getting her, but they probably already have it ready. Unlike him.
The boy flipped over and growled into his pillow. Mikasa... Mikasa... Mikasa... What could he get her? He's closer to her than anyone else is. So why was this so hard?
She's been so distant lately. Armin says she's probably thinking of her parents; she always does around her birthday. Eren's heart ached for her; another birthday without her parents. He knows he has it the same way; almost everyone does. But Mikasa...
Her parents... that day... the scarf... all these thoughts were running through his mind. The scarf... that dingy old thing. In the peak of winter, she's been wearing it more than ever. It was annoying to look at anymore. He wished she could just get a new one.
...
Wait. That's it. A new scarf for her! Eren thought has he lifted his head. A new scarf would be a perfect gift, he thought. He quickly jumped out of his bed and grabbed his coat, heading out to the village.
Eren watched his breath form in the crisp air as his ears turned bright red. He walked around the streets and looked in shop windows for stores that sold scarves. Luckily, he wasn't in uniform, and with his hoodie on, his face was tough to make out, not attracting any attention. After walking a few blocks down the village, he finally found a store at the end of town that sold women's dresses and scarves.
The warmth enveloped his body as he walked in the store.
"Welcome," an older lady greeted, smiling. She was sitting at a sewing machine.
"Ah, hello there," Eren responded, smiling.
"How may I help you?" she asked, tucking dark strands of hair behind her ear.
"Umm... I'm looking for a gift. Do you sell scarves?" he asked. She stood up.
"We certainly do. Here, follow me." she said, motioning him to come. Eren obliged, following her throughout the store. It was actually much bigger than he expected it to be, with displays upon displays of dresses, hats, and scarves; all handmade. The whole store was empty; he was the only one there. Strange.
"Wow... there's a lot in here..." he marveled. The lady laughed.
"Yes, well... Let's just say I often have some time to spare. Here is the main scarf section, but as you can see, you can find them all over the store. Please feel free to call me if you need anything." she smiled.
"Yeah, thank you," Eren returned the smile. *Alright, Jaeger.* he thought to himself. *There has to be like, a billion scarves in this place. You'll get her present in no time.*
Yet again, he seemed to have proved himself wrong. Eren scoured the entire scarf display, looked all throughout the store, every rack and shelf, but couldn't find anything that made him say 'Mikasa would love this.'
He sighed in frustration, clutching a brown scarf that might come close to what she would like. But he knew she didn't like the color brown. He put it back and ran his fingers through the cloth of the scarves. He heard footsteps behind him.
"Hello.. I'm sorry to interrupt... I just wanted to let you know the shop's closing up in five minutes..." the lady said, worry present in her voice. "Are you looking for any scarf in particular?" she asked. Eren sighed again.
"Uh... no, not really... I'm sorry, it's just... Well... I have a very special friend whose birthday is tomorrow. I think a scarf would be a great gift for her... but... she's got her own taste, and... I want this gift to be perfect." The boy admitted. The woman nodded slowly.
"You know... I've always been told the best gifts are the ones you make yourself," she smiled. Eren nodded.
"Yeah... but I can't take anything good. Or at least worthy to give her."
"And why do you say that?" she asked.
His cheeks tinted red. "I dunno... Not very good at it I guess..."
She chuckled. "You never know if you never try," she put her hand on his shoulder. "Would you like to try?"
The brunet raised his brow. "Try... Try making her a scarf?" she nodded. He laughed. "Oh, no, no, I... I couldn't, really. Not even if I tried. Plus, I don't want to waste any of your-"
"Oh, you're fine," she smiled. "You know... I like you. Any boy who stands in a ladies' dress shop for close to two hours looking for a perfect gift... is pretty dedicated in my book. This... friend... she sounds like she would adore a hand made gift, yes?"
Eren thought about it. Mikasa... would probably really like that. He nodded. "Yeah... she would."
"Then it's settled. Why don't you go take a seat by my sewing machine, and I'll get the supplies." Eren beamed.
"Ok, sounds great." he grinned.
"Ok, so... are there any colors or materials you have in mind for this scarf?" she asked, pulling a box of fabric out. Eren shifted his lips.
"Hmm... I don't know... Probably-" he stopped in his tracks when he spotted a perfect fabric. "This one," he held it up. "I want to make it all out of this fabric. It's perfect." he decided, his notorious determination showing. She took it and inspected it.
"Hmm... I rarely ever use this fabric on scarves, usually just detailing on dresses, seeing how expensive it is..." she said.
He furrowed his brow. "I'll be willing to pay any price." he stated. The woman looked at him and blinked.
"Well... I can see nothing will make you change your mind on this," she laughed. "Ok, start peddling to get this thing running. I'll show you how to do this step by step. Pay attention, now..."
And pay attention he did. They worked all through the night, constantly fixing the multiple mistakes he made every minute. He was tired, hungry, and his hands had small bandaids all over them from poking himself with a needle more times than he could count. But it was finished, the scarf was finally finished, and it was a masterpiece.
"Now, that's a scarf if I've ever seen one. This is one lucky girl," the lady smiled, packing away materials. "The way you described her to me... She sounds really wonderful." Eren nodded in agreement, secretly giddy on the inside to give it to her.
"It's about half past six. Shop is opening in a couple hours..." she said, stretching.
"Oh, yeah, of course," Eren stood up, well knowing. "Look, I want to thank you again for helping me with this. Just name your price, and I'll-"
She put her hand up. "No need to pay me." Eren stood there, stunned for a minute.
"Wait... What? But... you spent all night helping me make this thing; you said this fabric is really expensive." The woman nodded.
"Both statements are true, but... I couldn't charge you for this. It wouldn't seem right." Eren blinked, then started laughing.
"Wow uh, thank you," he smiled, holding the scarf close to his chest. She returned it.
"No problem. Hurry now, and make sure you give the best birthday possible." He nodded, and started walking out. "But- hey-!" she said, as he was walking out the door.
Eren looked at her. "I didn't catch your name." she said.
"Eren." he smiled. "Eren Jaeger."
"It's nice to meet you, mister Jaeger. You can call me Ms Ackerman," she introduced. He froze, staring at her more closely. "And..." she said, writing something down on a slip of paper. She grabbed an envelope and sealed it up. "I'd love for you to give this to the girl." She handed it to him.
"Ms Ackerman...?" he whispered. She nodded.
"Yes," she smiled. "It was nice meeting you, Eren."
He stood in the doorway for another minute, staring at her. This woman bared the same features as Mikasa- no, she couldn't be Mikasa's mom. Mikasa's mom is dead. ... Right?
"Is something wrong?" she asked, looking at him still standing in the doorway.
He blinked, looking at her one more time. "Oh... uh... no... Sorry, you just kinda look like my friend. It's nothing though. Thank you again." he said, and he walked out.
Eren was happy to be back in his own bed. He plopped down, exhausted, holding the scarf in his hands. He's never put so much work into a piece of clothing. He smiled, tucking it under his pillow and running to take a quick shower. The thoughts of the woman ran in his mind again.
*How strange,* he thought, as he felt the beads of water run down his skin. *She looked, talked, acted, almost exactly like Mikasa. And her last name was Ackerman.* He was sure Ackerman was her fathers surname, so unless Mikasa had an older sister he didn't know about, the only possible person it could've been was her mother...
He shook off the idea as he shook off his hair to rid of the water. God, he was so tired, he thought he was going to collapse. *A little nap wouldn't hurt...* he thought, as he laid in bed, holding the scarf. He only had time to slip on his boxers until he was fast asleep, already snoring in ten minutes.
He dreamed of short black locks and milky white skin. He had good dreams; he dreamt of his childhood, of playing in the meadows on warm summer days with Mikasa. He could still remember the big tree they rested under when they were tired. Mikasa would end up falling asleep, her long hair sprawled out through the blades of grass. Armin would tell them about these things called 'oceans' and 'deserts' and the 'tundra.' Those foreign words sounded kind of nonsensical at the time. Now Eren doesn't stop thinking about going to 'the beach.' It sounds quite wonderful.
"Eren..." he heard from afar. "Eren... Eren... Eren..." the voice was becoming louder. "Eren!"
The boy's eyes shot open. He looked around, his blond best friend standing over him. "There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you," he sighed, resting his hands on his knees. Eren rubbed his eyes.
"Armin...?" he asked groggily. "What time is it? H-How long have I been asleep?" Eren panicked, searching for the scarf.
"Uh... Almost all day?" the blond thought, scratching the back of his neck.
"All day? Shit, but Mikasa's party is-"
"Over. We all thought you'd come... especially Mikasa. When you didn't show up, we started searching everywhere for you. I thought you'd spend the most of today looking for a gift for her, but I had no idea you were sleeping..."
"Over?!" The brunet exclaimed, jumping up and running to grab a shirt.
"Yeah... It just ended like 10 minutes ago..."
"Shit, I can't believe I missed it..." Eren whispered, pulling up his pants. "This can't be happening..."
Armin didn't know what to say. "... Did you get her a gift?" he asked, hopeful.
He blinked. Gift. Scarf! Eren pulled out all the sheets and looked under his pillows. "C'mon... C'mon.. Where are you..." he growled. "Found it. Armin, where's Mikasa?" he asked, yet it was more of a demand.
"Umm... I think she's still in the mess hall cleaning up... I-"
But before the boy could finish his sentence, Eren was out the door, sprinting to the mess hall. Worried thoughts filled his mind. *God, I hope I didn't screw this up too much...* He bit the inside of his lip.
He pushed through the doors of the mess hall, only to find Sasha and Connie picking at the leftovers.
"Guys, where's Mikasa?" he asked frustrated. Their eyebrows perked up.
"Eren! Where were you? Mikasa was so upset you didn't come to her party!" Sasha scolded him. Eren internally groaned.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, just.. Where is she?!"
Sasha and Connie looked at each other. "I think she's in her bedroom trying on the dress I got her. But Eren-" he was gone again.
He ran faster this time, running as fast as his legs would take him to her room. He counted the wooden doors until he finally stopped at the right one. Her light was one but the door was closed. Eren swallowed and cleared his throat, knocking on her door.
"Who is it?" he heard her voice ask.
"... Eren." he said, looking at the ground. There was a period of silence from the other side. She didn't respond. "Mikasa? Can I come in?" he asked. He heard her footsteps coming closer. The door creaked open, light from her room penetrating the dark hallway. He stared into her gray eyes.
"H-Hi Mikasa..." he greeted sheepishly. "Happy Birthday..."
Silence for a while. "... Thanks." she said, ready to close the door on him. His foot stopped it.
"Wait." he said. "Mikasa..." he sighed, guilt crushing him more every minute. "I'm... sorry for not making it to your party. I really really am. I didn't do it on purpose; I didn't mean to not show up. I'm really sorry."
She blinked, staring at the wall behind him. "... So where were you?"
Eren swallowed again. He hated having to tell the truth sometimes.
"Sleeping..." he responded slowly. And as soon as he said that, he swore he watched her heart shatter.
"You... didn't come... because you were sleeping..." she restated. Eren shut his eyes tight.
"Yeah, but-"
Mikasa shook her head and started closing the door again. This time he stopped it with his fist. He pushed it open, walking in her room. He closed the door behind him. "Look. I'm more than sorry. I feel awful. There's nothing much else I can really say but sorry. I... I wanted to get you a great gift this year. I spent all night making it, and I was exhausted, so I took a nap. I had no idea I slept that long. I'm so sorry." he sighed, feeling like trash. Why was he such an awful friend?
"I can't really expect you to forgive me. I just want you to know I'm sorry." he admitted. Mikasa looked at him for a minute.
"Eren..." she sighed.
"But, hey," his voice lightened up. "For what it's worth... I want you to have this." he smiled, holding up the scarf. Mikasa's eyes widened. "This is what I was working on all night," he laughed a bit, blushing. "I dunno, I just thought you could use a new one. Your old one is getting way worn out and pretty fragile, so..."
"Eren..." she repeated his name again, staring at the scarf. "It's... amazing." she smiled, holding it.
It was made entirely out of silk, beaming vibrant red, in contrast with her older scarf that had turned into more of a dirty maroon over the years. The soft tassels wove though her fingers as her thumb grazed upon the engraved stitching. Her initials, 'M.A.' were stitched in cursive just above the tassels on the right side of the scarf.
"Here. Let me put it on you," he offered. Mikasa gathered her hair in her two hands. Eren wrapped the scarf around her, eliciting goosebumps on her skin when his fingers touched her neck. "There." he said satisfied, wrapping it around the way she always does. "Oh... wow..." Eren backed away to see her better, and he just finally noticed she was wearing the dress Sasha bought her.
It fit her well. The upper part was a black velvet corset that hugged her body tight with intricate lace design along the sleeves. The bottom part was a moss green color; it flowed like a fountain from her waist to the floor. She looked something of a forest princess.
"Wow... You look... Uh..." Eren blinked. He hasn't seen Mikasa in a dress since she was 10. "That dress looks very... really nice on you..." his thoughts came out in jumbled phrases. He never thought he'd see her in a dress again.
Mikasa slightly laughed, embarrassed, pulling the scarf over her nose. She inhaled, the cloth lingering with the scent of Eren. "Thanks... Sasha got me this..." she said, toying with the ballerina fabric of the dress. He nodded.
"It... You look amazing," he smiled. He walked over to her. "I'm sorry again, Mikasa..." he took her hands in his. She starred at his shirt and sighed. "Are you still angry at me?" he asked, hopeful of a certain answer.
"... Yes." she responded truthfully. "But... you stated up all night making my gift for me. And so... I guess I can forgive you." Eren sighed of relief. "I had no idea you could make things like this..." she took the scarf off, studying the fabric. She studied it more closely, eyeing the detail.
"Everything okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes..." she said slowly. "Yet... this stitching... The pattern... It's identical to how my mother stitched clothing. She had a unique way of sewing. I remember, for she sewed all my clothes as a child..." her voice turned into a whisper mid-sentence.
Eren blinked, remembering how the lady resembled Mikasa's mother. And now hearing this...
"That's strange. I actually didn't do that all alone, though. I made the thing last night at a women's clothing shop in the village. This nice older lady gave me the supplies and taught me how to stitch like that. It's weird, actually. She looked kinda like an older version of you..." he said. Mikasa didn't speak. "Oh, wait, I forgot!" Eren exclaimed, reaching into his pocket. "She uh, actually wanted me to give you this..." he handed her an envelope. "It's from her to you, which is kinda strange considering you've both never met." Mikasa agreed, taking the envelope. She was so curious, but held it.
"I'll open it later..." She set it down on her vanity. Her eyes made contact with his green ones. "Eren... thank you..." she smiled. "This scarf is wonderful..." He returned the smile, wrapping his arms around her.
"It's no problem. I'm really glad you like it. Happy birthday, Mikasa." he gave her a slight kiss on the forehead. He grew flustered at the action.
"Well... uh..." he stuttered, stepping away. "I think I'm gonna see what leftovers there are in the kitchen." he laughed. "Goodnight, Mikasa."
"Goodnight, Eren. Thank you." She smiled. The boy took one last look at her, and closed the door behind him. Outside in the hallway, he slumped against the wall opposite of her door. He watched the shadow of her footsteps from below her door, wanting nothing more than to spend more time with her. He sighed though, and walked down the hall, a small smile present on his face, the image of her smile still fresh in his mind.
Mikasa closed her eyes and inhaled the nostalgic scent of the scarf. She
set it down and stripped out of the dress, careful not to tear it. Mikasa slipped into her underwear and laid on her bed, taking the envelope. She was more curious than ever to read it.
Gently opening it, she took out a slip of paper.
*Happy Birthday, my little angel.* It read, in cursive writing.
~ Epilogue ~
Mikasa's heart almost stopped.
*This... this is my mother's hand writing...* she thought in disbelief. That was the only message on the paper; she triple checked all over it and the envelope. Was this some kind of trick?
Eren said the lady he made this scarf with worked at a woman's dress shop. She bore similar looks to her own. The stitching on the scarf was exactly how her mother used to stitch. And this note... Why would a woman she's never met write a note like this?
She had to meet her. She had to.
The next morning she knocked on Eren's door. A sleepy brunet answered.
"Morning, Eren." she greeted. He rubbed his eyes and looked at her. She was all dressed, as if she was ready to go out to the town.
"Uh... Morning..." he said, as she walked in his room. "What's up?" he asked. Mikasa handed him the note.
"That was the note. Strange, right?"
Eren scrunched his eyebrows. "Yeah. Weird..."
"That's why... I would like you to take me out to the village today. I would like you to take me to the shop. I want to meet this woman." she ordered, taking the note back. Eren scratched his chest.
"Uh... Ok... If you say so... We can leave in a few minutes." Mikasa nodded.
"I will wait out in the hallway," she said, walking out.
"Oh, Mikasa?" he asked.
"Yes, Eren?" she turned.
"Nice scarf." he smiled.
The cool morning breeze sent shivers up their spines as they walked around the town, watching the mothers and children shop.
"It's pretty far down, like the last shop." Eren said, his hands in his pockets. He felt Mikasa's arm brush up against his.
"I don't mind," she smiled. He returned it. It's been forever they've had their own time together.
"So... Tell me about the party." he said. Mikasa nodded.
"Well... It started with Connie's shirt catching on fire..."
"Here we... are?" the boy said, tilting his head. They were standing in front of the building he was at last night. But it looked far from it.
The windows are doors were bolted up with wood panels; the bricks falling, tumbling apart and the roof caving in. Eren couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Mikasa asked.
"Positive!" Eren assured. What was the meaning behind this? What happened? Just last night it was in great condition with lights strung up and clothing displays in the windows. "I... hold on. Something isn't right here..." he said. Eren started to walk over to the store next to it, a restaurant. He walked in, Mikasa close behind him.
"Excuse me," he started, talking to a man that seemed to look like the owner.
"Yes? How can I help you?"
"What happened to the store next to you?" Eren asked. The man raised an eyebrow.
"I beg your pardon?" Eren grew frustrated.
"The store literally right next to you," Eren pointed to the right. "What happened to it? Where's the owner?"
He blinked. "Boy, I don't know what you're talking about-"
"Yes you do! The store right next to you! With the bordered up windows!" he exclaimed. Mikasa put her hand on his shoulder.
"Eren..." she calmed him. The man still looked confused.
"That building? That's not a store. Hell, I don't know what that place is. It was vacant and boarded up like that when I first came and opened this restaurant. And I've been running this place for 20 years."
Eren let these words sink in. None of this made sense- how could it?
"I don't understand... I... How..." Mikasa grabbed his hand.
"Thank you for your time, sir." she said, pulling Eren away.
They stood outside in front of the empty building again.
"This doesn't make any sense. I swear, it was right here. This was the store." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry Mikasa." He apologized.
The wind started blowing faster, picking up leaves and dust with it. Mikasa felt something when she looked at the building. She felt something in her heart; a presence of someone with her. And in a second, with the wind, it was gone. She tugged on her scarf, feeling the soft fabric. She watched the leaves as the breeze carried them through the sky, up high, as if they were dancing with the clouds. And in that moment, Mikasa really knew who was there. Who really stitched this scarf. And they were momentarily reunited all because the boy standing next to her couldn't find a gift in time.
Mikasa grabbed onto Eren and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you, Eren..." she said. As confused as he was at the time, he stayed silent and gladly hugged her back.
*Happy Birthday, my little angel.*
A/N: Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for reading. I apologize for the sole reason of this fic not being too good :( I literally started on it two days ago, and just finished writing it about 20 minutes ago; no doubt there's probably countless mistakes I've missed! I just really wanted to post this story while it's still her birthday. I will be going back and editing this story when I have the time. I apologize again for posting this story and only italicizing halfway through. :( the words like *this* are supposed to be italicized. Because I write all my fics on my phone, it's just a guideline i use. I am uploading this story from my phone at the moment currently. Unfortunately my internet is down as well, so i can't upload this through my laptop. In conclusion, this fic is honestly everywhere and I'm sorry about mistakes/disorganization. I'll go back to edit this when I get the chance.
But for what it's worth, thank you so much for reading! Happy birthday to my goddess girlfriend Mikasa. I love you so much! 33
faves are awesome, reviews are super awesome. id love to hear what you thought of the story! leave a review/fave if you can!
-kyoko