Paring: Eren/Mikasa

Setting: The final stand kinda thing.

Words:2228

Rating: K+

Notes: This wasn't what I was originally going to write but I wrote this anyway lol I had it in my head so I figured I could make it work. This is really fluffy okay. I mean really fluffy. Shh shh. Let me pretend this is how it's all going to end okay.

February 7th - Warmth

"Eren, wait!"

He stopped in his tracks at the voice. God, Mikasa, don't make this harder than it has to be. Eren turned around to see her walking towards him. He saw Armin hesitating as well, not wanting to leave Mikasa behind when she was on his team for the attack plan.

"Make it quick, Jaeger." Levi was already out the door before Eren could answer him. Out the door to the biggest challenge they had faced, one that could end the titans, or end them.

"What is it, Mikasa, we're gonna be late." He didn't mean to come off harsh with her; he was just afraid of looking down at that face and it potentially being the last time he saw it. He didn't think he could bear it. Still, he felt her eyes on his face, his own flickering down to her. Big mistake. Her face looked normal, steeled and ready for the fight, but her eyes, they were wide and glossy. He knew she must be having similar fears, weren't they all?

"I..." Her hands were fiddling with her scarf, her eyes never leaving his.

"Yes?"

"I just…" she bit her lip, clearly unsure of whatever she was trying to say.

Eren was gonna prompt her again, afraid Levi would come back and yell and that's not how Eren wanted to spend his last few moments with her, but he didn't need to. Her hands reached up to her neck, pulling off that scarf Eren barely remembered seeing her without. She carefully reached up and draped it around his neck, taking her hands and wrapping it around him. It was still warm from her body, and it smelt just like she did. A sense of ease washed over Eren just at the simple comfort of having her so close to him.

"Just promise me you'll come back, and." She pulled lightly on the ends of her scarf, tightening it for him. "That we can go home after this."

Eren hesitated for a moment. What if he couldn't keep the promise? God, of course he wanted to, but what if he couldn't? He reached up to brush a few hairs from her face, his fingers grazing across her cheek. "I promise."

"I'm sorry, Mikasa, we have to go." Armin's voice was warm, understanding. He held his arm out for her as Mikasa walked away from Eren, not looking back. Armin gave him a sympathetic smile and a nod before turning to follow the rest of the soldiers. Eren knew Armin would look after her; she'd be okay. He couldn't afford to think any other way.

He turned and went through the door leading away from everyone else. Levi was leaning up against a nearby wall, clearly waiting for him. He eyed Mikasa's scarf on Eren before starting to walk. "You better damn well keep any promises you made her, you hear me?"

"Yes, sir." Eren pulled her scarf up over his mouth, like he had seen her do countless times. No wonder, it did bring a sense of comfort no one else could've given him.

It was the constant rubbing of Mikasa's scarf against his face, the memory of her face that woke him up. Everything was unbelievably hot. Eren could feel himself gasping for air, only getting stale hot steam in his lungs. His skin felt like it was on fire, making him squirm, trying to get away from the substances that were coving his body; his hands scraped at his skin, trying to get out. With a loud cry he managed to pry his eyes open to see the ever familiar body of the dissolving titan over his body. Steam filled his vision, stinging his eyes. He tried to pull his body out but the tendons from his titan form were still holding him in, burning him.

"H-" he tried to call out but his throat was dry, no words would come out. He tried to keep pulling his legs out of the body, out before they burned him whole. There were no sounds around him, just the sizzling of the corpse over him. No shouts from his comrades, no pounding feet to come help him, not even Mikasa's voice coming to save him like she always did. There was no one…no one?

Eren stopped moving for a second. No, not even the shaking ground of the titans he was fighting. No screaming, no hideous noises.

Had they done it?

Eren struggled, and fought, and pulled hard enough that he thought his legs were gonna come off but his hands hit the grassy field as he heaved himself out of the titan's body. The sun was so bright he couldn't even see for a moment; he shielded his eyes and tried to stand up on his wavering legs. The field around him was filled with steam, bodies of titans dissolving all around him.

Was that him? Had he killed all these things? Eren tried to think back about what he was doing before he woke up trying to get out. He placed a hand against his head; bits of memory came back to him with a sharp pain to his head. He was fighting with his gear and the others. He was trying to see Mikasa and Armin before he shifted, wanting to make sure they were still alive but in the midst of titans and soldiers it was hard to pick them out. There was no time though; he shifted to fight off a hoard, to fight off the leader.

His head snapped up. No other titans were around, well, no other alive ones that was. There were no signs of more coming to attack him, no signs of them anywhere nearby.

Had they really done it?

Eren frantically looked around. Someone who was on the ground fighting had to know what was going on. Armin would know, Mikasa too, and Levi most certainly would. He spun around in his spot trying to catch a glimpse of a green cloak, of a brown jacket, to hear the 3D gear, but nothing. He couldn't see anyone and he couldn't hear anything.

"Hey!" Eren tried calling out, his voice still hoarse. "Is anyone…" his voice trailed off as he took a closer look at the field he was standing in. There were some people there, laid out on the ground after giving a sacrifice to try and save this world. He almost didn't even want to look too closely in case there was a face there he never wanted to see lifeless.

Is that were everyone was…did he manage to help them, only to lose everyone?

Eren shook his head, almost as if to convince himself that wasn't true, but this was all they had; this was their shot to end it. Everyone had gone in knowing they could all be killed and what if they had? It wouldn't be unreasonable, not with the amount of titans they were fighting but…Eren was supposed to protect them too. What if they were gone?

He sank to his knees on the cold ground. The steam was almost gone in front of him, leaving him without the burning sensation of being alive. Even the worn out scarf still around his neck couldn't help. What good was winning this war if he had no one there to live for anymore? What good was a new life without the people he started this fight for to have a new life with? What good was he?

"Eren!"

The voice was like out of a dream; it was far away but still sounded so close. He glanced around the field. No one.

"Eren! Are you there! Please!"

Her voice was desperate, pleading, broken. Eren stood up. No he was certain he wasn't imagining it, imagining her; he'd never imagine her so sad. He spun around in his spot, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Er-en!" her voice broke that time, in a half cry.

There she was. Standing on a hill off in the distance but it was her, he'd know her anywhere.

"Mikasa!" He waved his arms to get her attention and it seemed to work; she stopped still in her tracks. She started to walk towards him, slowly at first, but it only took a moment for her to break out into a run across the field. She was limping slightly, something happened to her, but not enough to stop her. Eren tried to stagger towards her despite the way his legs were still burning. She was alive.

She was close now, he could see her face, a mix of fear and relief in her eyes. Eren steadied himself and opened his arms to her. In a matter of seconds Mikasa was in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist as she held onto him, her head falling onto his shoulder. Eren just held her back, slightly amazed she didn't knock him over. He heard her choked cries in his ear.

Eren rolled his head against hers, burring his face in her hair as he sunk to his knees, taking her with him. "I thought you were dead. I thought I lost you."

"We couldn't find you anywhere." She looked up at him, her legs falling on either side of his as she placed her forehead against him. Tears fell onto her cheeks, but she was smiling.

"Hey," Eren bumped his head against hers. "I promised didn't I?"

With a choked laugh, Mikasa let her head fall back against his shoulder, her arms still tight around his neck. She had lost her cloak and her uniform jacket along the way, her white shirt torn and her gear gone but she looked okay. Aside from the way her leg was wrapped up, she didn't look too hurt. He held onto her, one hand on her back and the other oh her head, keeping her close.

"Mikasa?" Eren hesitated for a moment, but he had to know. "Is it over?"

She raised her head again to meet his eyes. "Yes," she nodded. "As far as we can tell. They're doing more recon of the area, trying to see if any more hoards are hiding but I didn't stick around to hear the results."

Eren felt like he should be happy, thrilled, ecstatic but a knot was still in the pit of his stomach and he knew why. He barely had the will to ask, afraid of the answer. "Armin?"

Mikasa didn't say anything, her face still warm and bright.

"Please tell me he-"

A warm hand on his shoulder told Eren all he needed to know. "Is right behind you?"

Eren turned his head to see Armin, a little worse for wear but still standing with all his body parts. His head was bandaged up, his arm in a makeshift sling, but he was okay too. His family was okay. Eren felt like the weight of the world was off his shoulder. They were free, and they were still together.

"Hey, buddy," Eren grinned up at him. "You look good."

"So do you. Glad you aren't fused into the body of a titan," Armin chuckled, kicking Eren in the back lightly.

"Yeah? So am I." He glanced back over to Mikasa, still in his arms. "That's thanks to her though." He brought up one end of the scarf he was still wearing. "I can see why you always wear it. It brings some good luck every now and then. And," he dropped the end, his eyes meeting hers. No matter how brief the moments were, he couldn't forget how he felt thinking she was gone; that was never going to happen again. "It always brings you back to me," he mumbled slightly. He heard Mikasa's breath hitch in her throat, his eyes linger on hers.

"Okay, you shit heads. I've had enough of your sentimental reunion."

Well, at least he knew Levi was still alive and kicking.

"I'm glad you're not dead, Jaeger, but this place reeks. Let's go."

Armin held out a hand for Mikasa to help her up while Eren pushed himself off the ground. It was surreal to look around the field and know no titans were coming for them; to know how many sacrifices were made for this to happen, too many to count. Armin put his arm around Eren's shoulders giving him a squeeze as they started to walk away from the field. He leaned slightly against Armin, thankful for his support when his body still felt like he had been run over by a cart. Mikasa was next to Eren, walking alongside him, but something was missing. The fabric against his chin reminded him.

Eren pulled off the scarf while they walked, and draped it over her shoulders, much like she had done to give it to him. He wondered when that scarf became such a symbol to them, but, really it was probably from the very beginning.

Mikasa picked up the ends of the scarf before looking up to him. Eren held out his hand to her, Armin still holding onto him.

"Let's go home, okay?"

She wrapped the scarf around her and took his hand with a smile; it always looked better on her. Besides, Eren didn't need the warmth it had brought him. He already had all he needed.