Day Two: AU

Summary: Jean plans to propose to Mikasa on Christmas Eve, despite the fact that he doesn't have much. Much to his dismay, he has a little difficulty getting her alone.

AU: Modern day, Everyone is alive

Rating: K

Word Count: 3,005

Jean knocked nervously on the wooden door in front of him, adjusting his heavy winter coat. The warm air that escaped his mouth in breaths froze into visible white clouds, eventually dissipating into the crisp atmosphere.

After a few moments, just when Jean was about to knock again, the door was opened by a very pretty woman of Japanese descent, with long, dark hair that reached her mid-back, and eyes grey like silver. "Oh, hi, Jean! Please, come in!" The woman stepped aside to let Jean inside the house, who was quite thankful for the opportunity to get out of the cold December air.

"Thank you, Mrs. Ackerman." He quickly let himself in as she closed the door behind him. "Is Mikasa home?"

Mrs. Ackerman shook her head. "No, unfortunately she's not, Jean. Is there something you needed to tell her?"

Jean shook his head. "No, that's fine. In fact, it might be better…" he muttered.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Mrs. Ackerman raised her brows in interest. After all, Jean and Mikasa were practically inseparable, so why would he think it "better" that she wasn't here?

"Oh, nothing…there's just…I'd like to speak to Mr. Ackerman, if he's home. Is he?" Jean nervously scratched the back of his head and glanced around the modest home for any sign of the man.

Mrs. Ackerman nodded, giving him a strange look, but decided not to pry. "Of course, Jean. Wait here for a minute while I get him."

Jean did as he was told while the woman walked back to the master bedroom, awkwardly looking around and taking in the Christmas decor.

He had been to the Ackerman's home several times before, of course, but never around the Christmas holidays. It wasn't a lot; after all, though the Ackermans weren't poor, they weren't rich either. But there were the basics, and it had a cozy feel to it. The tree was lit with classic lights, homemade ornaments from when Mikasa was little hanging from the various artificial branches, and the yearly family ornaments, as well as tinsel and candy canes adorning the tree. It was beautiful in a spontaneous sort of way; there was no theme. It was simply a hodgepodge of different ornaments they had collected over the years. Jean actually preferred it to an impersonal tree decorated with generic sparky baubles. Despite Mikasa's age, the stockings still hung from the mantle, as if waiting to be filled by Saint Nicholas himself. Old Christmas cards were displayed on top of the mantle as mementos from years past, some as old as Mister and Misses Ackerman's first year of marriage, long before Mikasa had even been thought of. It wasn't much, nor was it expensive. But it was still Christmas. Jean actually liked it more than the elaborate displays wealthy people with too much time and money on their hands put up for guests at different Christmas parties to ooh and aah over while nibbling on their hors d'oeuvres and drinking expensive wine from crystal glasses.

Jean was startled from his reverie when Mr. Ackerman appeared with a quizzical expression on his features. "Well, Jean, I can't say I expected you. What brings you here?"

Jean cleared his throat. "I, um, w-well…I have a…question, um, that I kind of want to, um, ask you."

The man chuckled slightly. "Well, then, spit it out! I don't bite, you know."

He seemed amused by Jean's discomfort, and Jean wasn't sure if it was meant to put him at ease or just increase his nerves. Of course, though, it made him more nervous. However, he tried to form a coherent thought and translate it into a complete sentence. "Yes, sir…Um…so, Mikasa and I have been together for a year now, and I really love her. A lot. You know?"

The man nodded wisely. "I can tell. You treat her well, and she talks about you all the time. You're lucky, Jean."

Jean blushed. "I know that. I really am lucky, she's…incredible, sir. And, um…I don't want to lose her."

Mr. Ackerman looked at him in interest. "And so…what are you trying to say?"

Jean took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about this for months. But now, I'm completely sure. I know I'm not very rich. In fact, I don't have hardly any money at all. I don't have much to offer. But I was wondering…I was wondering if I could have your daughter's hand in marriage?"

Mr. Ackerman looked at Jean for a little while in silence. This, of course, made Jean far more nervous, and he stumbled over words trying to explain himself further. "I-I've even bought the ring. A-and, if you want to see it, I've got it in my pocket here," and Jean fumbled with his jacket and began to pull out a velvet-covered box. "And, she told me not to get her anything for Christmas, because of my situation, but I can't do that, so I thought I'd propose on Christmas, if that's okay with you. But—"

Mr. Ackerman had begun to stifle laughter behind a hand. "Jean, if you're that eager, of course. Stop babbling."

Jean blushed, then brightened. "O-oh…really?" He could hardly believe his ears. He had half-expected a no, with his circumstance.

The man nodded, then grew more serious. "Yes, Jean. You don't have much, but the fact that you saved what little you have to get her a ring speaks volumes. You obviously love her very much, and I'm sure you'll be a good husband for her." He sighed. "As much as I hate to let her go…and while she's still in college, at that…I'm willing to let you."

Jean grinned. "Thank you, Mr. Ackerman. Thank you so much. I promise, I'll make her happy."

The man nodded. "I know you will. But you have to realize that the first years are going to be rough. She's in college, and even with a full scholarship, the financial situation will be rough. But she's going into a field with a lot of demand, so you'll be stable soon. Do you understand that?"

Jean nodded. "Yes, sir. I'll work more jobs if I need to, to make sure we have what we need."

Mikasa's father nodded. "It will require some sacrifice. But I believe that you can do it."

Jean nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Ackerman. You won't regret this decision. Thank you."

•~•~•~•

The snow was falling softly outside, blanketing the grass and trees and everything else on the ground in white. It was peaceful, grateful in a way. Inside, however, was a completely different story.

Apparently, the Ackermans liked to invite the entire clan along to celebrate on Christmas Eve, all opening presents and feasting together. Of course, Jean knew about three of them other than Mikasa and her parents, which included her cousin, Levi, her grandmother, and Levi's wife, who actually managed to be shorter than him.

Needless to say, Jean was stuck awkwardly hovering around Mikasa while he was bombarded with names and faces he would probably forget before the night was over. This probably wasn't the best position to be in, considering how he was about to be a part of this family, and ought to know their names, but it wasn't exactly his fault. After all, last Christmas, they had only been dating for a couple of weeks, and Jean had to visit his sick grandmother in the hospital until she died, thus eradicating his only living relative from the world.

He wasn't an introvert, far from it. But not knowing anyone was still a little awkward. Especially when they beamed about how "precious" he was and gave him hugs and kisses like they'd known him his whole life. He guessed it was more than a warm welcome, but he wasn't used to such affection, considering how his mom was an alcoholic until she asphyxiated herself while passed out from another night of binge drinking, and his father left when he was three.

The only truly bad thing about the whole situation was that he wasn't sure when he could get her alone to propose. He would surely have to wait all night until everyone had gone home, and only god knew when that would be.. The ring was in his pocket, since he had planned to propose not long after he arrived. It didn't look like that would happen anytime soon. It wasn't going to be an easy task.

Soon it was time for dinner, and the dozens of relatives were crammed any place they could sit, at the table, on the couch, at the breakfast bar, and even on the hearth of the fireplace (which surely was a fire hazard, but they didn't seem to mind). Mrs. Ackerman and some of the others had helped her cook, including Mikasa's grandmother, an uncle he had never met, two aunts, and Levi's wife, Petra, and they had fixed a feast for an army of starving kings. Jean was by Mikasa at the table, a platter of pungent turkey, tangy cranberry sauce, steaming mashed potatoes, and various other holiday cuisine sitting before him. Somehow, he had managed to almost completely consume such a plethora of food, and it was absolutely scrumptious. Mikasa raised her eyebrows at Jean in an amused fashion. "We're you hungry, Jean? You've almost eaten that whole thing."

Jean nodded, finding it a little funny himself. "I could've eaten a horse."

Mikasa's grandmother passed by then. "Oh, good for you, dear. You're skinny anyway, a little extra would do you some good," she said, squeezing his shoulder.

Jean blushed slightly and Mikasa rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Jean. She thinks everyone should eat until they're sick, and then more.

Jean shook his head. "No, it's fine. It's a grandma thing, I guess. Mine wasn't rich, but she did try to make a hot meal every night. Even when she was getting sicker and I told her to take it easy, she did her best. So it's not just your grandmother."

Mikasa shrugged. "I suppose you're right. Still, she doesn't have to worry." She put down her fork and looked at him more seriously. "So, my father told me you got me something."

Jean winced. She wasn't supposed to know—what if she knew about the proposal? No, she would've mentioned it before now. Still, it wasn't going as planned. He told a white lie, so it seemed less significant that the truth of the gift. "I did. I knew you'd get me something, and I didn't want to be a bad boyfriend."

Mikasa frowned. "You wouldn't be a bad boyfriend. We discussed this. I didn't want you to strain yourself financially, you know that."

"I know. But you can't change it. You're getting it, whether you like it or not. Besides, you've got a gift for me," Jean said.

Mikasa sighed. "Fine. I can't change it. But you really didn't have to."

Jean smiled. "But it's important. And I was hoping that we could exchange gifts tonight, privately. Is that okay with you?"

Mikasa nodded. "I'm okay with that. But it'll be a while."

Jean looked quizzically at her. "Like, how long?"

Mikasa laughed. "Like, an hour or two. People stay around for awhile after dinner. It's not often they get to catch up all together like this, even though they'll see each other tomorrow."

Jean groaned. It was going to be a long night.

•~•~•~•~•

Finally, after countless bear hugs and smooches, all the guests had finally disappeared. Jean had actually learned some names, knowing how important family was to Mikasa. Besides, if he was going to be part of the family, he might as well be able to properly identify all of them. Not long after the last couple had vacated the house, Jean went to his car and slipped the ring in his pocket. He went back inside quickly, for the night air was freezing, and saw Mikasa cleaning up abandoned plates and cups. "Mikasa," he began, "is it okay if we go ahead and do this?"

She smiled and nodded. "Just give me a second to put these away and get your gift." Jean was left to stand awkwardly in the living room as he had done a couple of weeks ago, waiting for Mikasa to return. Mr. Ackerman, thankfully, had noticed Jean's actions and had taken Mrs. Ackerman into the kitchen under the false premise of washing dirty dishes.

Mikasa soon returned with a relatively small box in hand, wrapped in gold paper. "This is yours, do you want to open first?"

"I do want to go first, actually," he replied, taking the gift from her hands. He carefully opened the wrapping, making sure not to rip the paper, a little quirk of his. It revealed a jewelry box that, when opened, contained a golden watch. A very nice one at that, probably not very cheap. "I knew you wanted a nicer one, yours is falling apart," she explained.

Jean smiled in wonder at the gift, then embraced her. "Thank you so much, Mikasa. It's love it, I'll wear it every day."

Mikasa beamed. "You're welcome, Jean, I hoped you'd like it." After a moment, she realized that there was no visible gift for her. She was okay with it, but he had very obviously stated he had something for her, why would he lie about something like that and lead her on for so much? And going so far to tell her father? She doubted Jean would do such a thing, it wasn't in his nature. "Jean," she started, pulling apart, "I don't want to seem demanding, but you said you had a gift for me. Where is it?"

Jean smiled in excitement. "Don't worry, I've got it. Just close your eyes first, and don't open them until I tell you to."

Mikasa rolled her eyes at such a cheesy move, but did as he wished. She shut her eyelids and heard a little shuffling about. What could he be doing? "Alright," she heard him say. "You can open your eyes now."

She blinked and looked down in confusion. What was he doing kneeling… Oh. Oh god. He was holding a ring box. And it had a ring in it. And he was doing the puppy eyes thing, which meant he really wanted something. Oh god. "Jean, what…" She knew what was happening, she just couldn't quite believe it.

Jean smiled nervously. "Mikasa, you know that I love you. And I know that you love me. I don't have a lot to offer. I'm not rich, or particularly smart or romantic or good-looking. But," he continued, before she could object to any of these statements. "I've been thinking about this for months. I can't live my life without you. I know you're still in college, and it'll be tough for a couple of years. But I don't ever want to lose you. So…Mikasa, will you marry me?"

Mikasa stood in shock for a moment, lot tears forming in the corners of her grey eyes. "Yes," she said, managing to speak past the knot in her throat, nodding. "Absolutely."

"Oh, thank you, Mikasa, thank you so much." Jean stood and wrapped her in a warm embrace, kissing her over and over again. "I love you so much," he kept saying.

And then she was really crying, and they were both complete messes. Extremely happy messes giving each other salty kisses and tight mugs and tacking their fingers in each others' hair. They were both completely wrecked, and completely in love.

After a little while, they pulled apart and Jean gently slipped the ring on her finger, kissing her hand gently as he did so. She studied the piece of jewelry in awe. It was absolutely beautiful, exactly what she could ever want. It was a relatively simple ring, platinum embedded with a diamond, tiny amethysts surrounding the pure, clear gem. "It's really beautiful, Jean. Thank you."

"I hoped you would like it. You mentioned liking amethysts one time," Jean said.

Mikasa smiled. "I do like it. I couldn't ask for anything more."

•~•~•~•~•

Needless to say, Mikasa's mother was positively ecstatic when she found out that night, as was the rest of the family the next day. They oohed and ahed over the ring, and many wished them happiness. Tears were even shed by some of the more sentimental ones. (Petra couldn't stop, her mascara was nearly all off her eyelashes by the time she was done, she and Mikasa were good friends. Levi had to escort her to the bathroom, rolling his eyes and mumbling about "stupid kids and their stupid engagements," even though he was no doubt remembering his own.) Her cousin, Eren, was a different story altogether. He had always cared deeply for Mikasa, and so he was wary of the engagement. But he still wanted for Mikasa what made her happy, so he didn't protest too much. Jean could still catch him staring daggers across the room. Jean could only hope that soon his disapproval would disappear.

They were bombarded with questions about the wedding, when it would be, what food they would have, what the theme would be, what her dress would look like, what the color scheme was so they could match, and all sorts of things, the answer to which were all identical: "I have no idea."

But there was one thing that particularly resonated with Jean. These people hardly knew him. To them only hours ago, he was just Mikasa's boyfriend, a new thing to talk about, but someone they had never met. But, despite all this, they accepted him. They immediately treated him as one of their own kin. They didn't care that he had no money. They didn't care that he had no family. They didn't care that he didn't even have a college education. They loved him. And to Jean, he realized that this—not his deadbeat dad and drunken mother—was family. People who love you unconditionally. People who accept you, no matter who you are. This was Mikasa's family, and because it was hers, it was now his. And he couldn't be happier.

*Author's Note: Thanks for reading my contribution to Day 2 of Jeankasa Week! I know it was cheesy, but I loved it. Don't forget to drop a review, follow, or favorite if you like! I love feedback! Thanks!*