Mikasa left for the refugee camps where she saw Eren staring at Ramzi's tent. Seeing Eren after all these years, Mikasa didn't know how to approach him without holding him tight and crying against his chest. All those years of her speaking and sobbing near his grave came to her mind...the times when she stared lovingly at the pictures she had of him from Marley so that she would never forget his face. It had been fifty-three years of all that and now, she's right in front of him...his living, breathing form right in front of her eyes. She could see his face again, hear his voice again, feel his presence again. It was more than overwhelming to say the least.
She then remembered what she had to say at the moment and decided to go with the flow.
"Eren! Don't you know that you're the enemy's main target? Everyone's been searching for you…"
She then noticed Eren wiping his tears as he looked at the tent. After what she experienced before at Kiyomi's manor, she began to relate with how Eren felt.
"Looks like this is what it felt like for Eren…if the Rumbling was what he saw in the end, then…every time he saw anyone, all he could see was that they'd be killed…because of him."
She then remembered Armin's last words:
"I then understood why Eren behaved like that those years…having the memories of your tragic future for years in your head while they play before you like clockwork…I can't imagine how painful and scary that must have been for him…"
She slowly went up to him and continued with her lines, waiting for the moment she dreamed to change for many, many years.
"Is that the boy from the market? Did anything happen?"
Eren looked at the scene and said slowly
"Nothing yet."
Mikasa slightly flinched when she understood he was talking about the Rumbling. She pretended to not understand.
"W-What do you mean? This is…"
"This is where those who lost their homes from the war are living. The same as we were. One day, our everyday lives suddenly ended…and everything was stolen from us."
Mikasa looked at Eren to see his eyes drooped down, empty, just like he was for the whole trip.
As they looked on, Mikasa stiffed at what was to happen next…what he was about to ask her. But when he did…for some reason, it felt…different than the last time she heard it.
"Mikasa, why do you concern yourself so much with me?"
When she turned to look at him in the eye, that was when she understood why.
She's seen the same look, and heard the same question many, many times before when she took care of the orphanage. It was the first question asked by every child who was aware that he had been orphaned and had engaged in activities like stealing and pickpocketing before being taken in. They lost everyone who cared about them and knew they were doing something evil out of necessity…because they had no choice. They harbored resentment towards the society who hated their very existence. There were many of them who thought they didn't deserve any care at all from what they've seen and done. There were many who wished that they hadn't even been born.
Eren then continued to ask her
"Is it because you were saved by me as a child…or is it because I'm family?
What…am I to you?"
Mikasa was surprised as she understood what Eren really meant. She cursed herself at her naïveté back then for thinking he was implying something romantic. He was suffering so much and romance was the last thing he would think about. Eren looked at her knowingly, waiting for an answer
Mikasa then remembered what would happen next. The old refugee offering them a drink, and the others ruining their moment. She thought back to when she asked herself that day as she saw the Rumbling within the mist
"I wonder…was there any other choice we could've made? Maybe everything had been decided from the start. Still…I can't help but think…back then, what if I had…given him a different answer?"
And now, that moment was right in front of her eyes again. And Mikasa knew exactly what to do.
Before Armin and the others arrived, Mikasa held Eren's hand firmly and took him away from the place as fast as she could. She then brought him to a place far off from the tents, in a corner where she hoped no one would come. Eren's lifeless eyes went curious at this gesture. He expected Mikasa to blush deeply and stutter that it was because they were family, solidifying his belief that he couldn't escape from his destiny and she only cared about him because of a responsibility to. But whatever was going on was different from what he saw in his memories. He was very sure that there were a few events in the middle that he overlooked until he felt Mikasa's slap to his face.
As he held his red cheek with his hand, he looked at the girl in front of him. She had tears lacing her eyes as she lightly grit her teeth. He could hear the sounds of the waves breaking on the shore under the cliff they were at. They were near the Marley shore.
"H-Heh?" Eren breathed in surprise as his eyes slowly went wide
Mikasa then said with slight anger in her tone
"How…could you ask me a question like that?! I don't care about you so that I can thank you for saving my life! I don't care about you because of the obligation that you are family! You really think I cared about you for pathetic reasons like that Eren?"
Eren looked at her for a few seconds. He then slowly asked
"T-Then…why? Why Mikasa? Why do you care so much about someone like me?" Eren asked in a desperate tone
"I don't need a reason to take care of you Eren! In fact, nobody needs one! If there is any, it's that you were born into this world! Anyone who is born deserves to be cared about Eren. I care about you…because you're YOU. Because you're Eren. That's it. I don't care about you because it's something I need to do or because you did something for me. I just…want to do it…of my own will."
Eren was stunned at this answer. He…he never expected this answer from Mikasa, although it was the one he always wanted to hear from someone. He never expected her to slap him either. He then went up and hugged her tight against his chest. He began to cry…loudly, uncontrollably, without any restraint…knowing that there was still someone who cared for him in this world…just like his mom did…without any expectations or burdens. Mikasa felt his tears fall on her head. She was feeling even more guilty when she felt Eren crying like this. She couldn't believe that she ignored him when she was in SO much pain. So much, that it felt like the whole world was going to fall on him. And she was only an observer. She slowly mumbled a sorry into his shirt as she held slight tears in her eyes.
After he stopped crying, Mikasa looked up at him and wiped the tears off his cheeks. She then cupped his cheeks and slowly said
"Eren, please, talk to me. I've been seeing you ever since this trip began. There's something bothering you. I don't know what it is, but I know this…you don't need to suffer like this. You …you've suffered enough…so that's why whatever it is…just…please, let it go…don't care about what's going to happen … Even if there's no one to care, I'll always be here for you." She said as she looked at his face with slight tears in her eyes. She's just letting her heart run her tongue at this point.
"D…Do you think I…I really deserve that?" Eren asked weakly
"You do Eren! You deserve it more than anyone !" Mikasa said in a low voice, but with a strong tone.
"So…if I…run away from all this…this whole conflict…will you help me with it?" Eren slowly asked
Mikasa then swallowed and answered "Y... Yes. Yes, I will, Eren! I-I'll even run away along with you if you want…" She didn't go where this was going so, she just decided to go with her heart and the situation
Eren then looked at her in surprise, as a slight smile started to form on his face "H-Hey, you do know what you're saying, right?! Y-You're saying that we should just…leave our island, our people, everything…just like that? For me? Can we even- "
"I don't care about all that! I never cared about any of that since the beginning…not the island, not its people, anything…my parents were hunted down by the very same people of this island…why should I even think about putting my life on the line for them? I only joined the military for you Eren…because you wanted to back then. And…if you don't want to stay there anymore…then neither will I. I'm not saying I'll follow you wherever you go…I just…want to be there for you and…I…I want you to be there for me…That's all I always wanted…to be by your side, no matter where you go."
Eren lightly smiled at this "R…Really? D…Do you care about me that much?"
Mikasa began to blush at this as she looked down. She didn't know what was going to happen anymore. So she began to keep rambling.
"Y-Yes! I…care a lot about you, Eren. I…I don't just care about you E-Eren, I…I love you…more than anyone else...more than anything else. I-I don't know about you, but…ever since the day I met you…ever since the time you wrapped your scarf around me…I've always loved you…not just as family, but…as something more…to me…you…you're my…most…beloved…my…my dear."
She then realized what she said and her face became redder. She looked up to see him looking at her with a lighter red face and his mouth open. She then looked down and then slowly said
"O-Of course, I-I'll still support you even if you want to be with someon-"
She was cut off by Eren lifting her head and gently pressing his lips against hers. Her eyes snapped up to look at his closed ones. A second later, he slowly pulled away with a smile on his face. Mikasa blushed brightly as an awkward smile came on her lips
"Why would I need someone else when I have you by my side?" He said with the same smile.
Mikasa then couldn't take it anymore. She then cupped his cheeks and went aggressively for another kiss. Eren was a bit surprised about the intensity of it, but then he slowly began to kiss her back. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and he around her waist as the kiss became more passionate.
When they pulled away, the rested their foreheads on each other's, panting. They then heard an "oooh" sound of a boy in the side. The two suddenly turned their heads to see Ramzi look at the two secretly from a corner with his wide eyes bright with amazement. Eren puts his finger on his lips and gave a light wink, showing him to keep this a secret. Eren began to feel again like the little boy he was with his mother, because now, there was someone who loved him the same way she used to.
Ramzi understood the message and gave a thumbs up, paired with a mischievous grin. He then went away from the scene, making sure no one saw him
Eren was now completely convinced. Unlike what he thought before, his future was not set in stone now. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. For the first time, the memories of the future that he saw didn't match with what was happening in front of him. All this time, he thought that the Rumbling was the only way to end the Titans and protect the people on his island. This time, he had another choice. He didn't know what was there along this road, but he knew this: if there was a slight chance, even a slight one, that he could protect the ones he loved without becoming an unprecedented mass murderer for them, he'll take it, even if it seemed like the wrong thing to do.
"Do you think he'll tell anyone?" Mikasa asked him
Eren looked at the disappearing boy and said "He won't. At least not yet."
He then held Mikasa's hand and gently pulled on it
"Well then, let's go!"
She blinked. "Go? Go where?"
"Away. Somewhere far away. There's a railway station to the south of here, and I've still got some money on me. We'll find someplace remote on the continent to settle down and do exactly what we wanted to do. Run away from all this. Just the two of us."
Mikasa kept staring at him with her mouth slightly open. Eren continued
"Look, I…I don't know what's going to happen if we do this. But…I have only about 4 years left. I just want to live my last few years in peace with you. Please."
"...okay." she said with a light smile
And with that, their path is decided.
As Eren led her away, she felt as though she were floating. Yes, there would still be some regrets, yes there would still be some bloodshed, and there would be consequences for abandoning everything. But right then, as her hand was grasped by the boy she loved more than anything else, she didn't care about any of them.
He wouldn't have to become the monster she had to kill before, and he would forever love her as she diverted him from that awful fate.
A/N: Thank you for waiting so patiently for the next chapter. My end sems are done with now and…It went great! I watched the final episode a while back and I have to say, MAPPA NAILED it...the visuals, the music...it was just perfect (especially the tent sequence) I had to change a few more details in the story after watching it thanks to the color scheme and everything, and it also gave me some new ideas to include here. There are a few sections in this story which I adapted from other authors but made my own changes to suit the plot. Please enjoy and give your comments and reviews. (I've tried my best to keep any OOC behavior out. Please do mention if there is anything like so)
