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For his 16th birthday Eren Yeager, average high school student, was given the dubious present of knowledge. He gained knowledge of a different life, a world of bloody conflict against giants, societal strife, an apocalypse borne of hatred and most peculiarly, a girl with a red scarf. The knowledge came to him all at once, and he couldn’t help but cry bitter tears at the tragedy, at his own tragedy.
The Eren Yeager he was now lived a blessed and peaceful life with his dad Grisha and his mom Carla, just like before. The Eren Yeager he was now had a blonde half-brother that while insufferable and obnoxious, was no nihilist hell bent on racial euthanasia. The Eren Yeager he was now was able to be live in a world free from walls and curses.
It was too much for the likes of him. The things he did should’ve easily put him on the fast track to the pits of Hell. He couldn’t help bursting into tears at the breakfast table much to concern of his parents and the amusement of his dipshit brother.
It did not help his mental state knowing that his mom’s cooking was perfection no matter the universe, and now even Zeke couldn’t shut the hell up about it. He’s a monkey no matter the universe, too.
Despite this, he was yearned for more. He yearned for the friends that made his past life worth it. He may not have the Founding Titan anymore, but he had the Internet and he knew how to use it.
Hope gave way to disappointment as he realized that none of his friends made it to the new world beyond the walls, not Armin, Reiner, Jean, Connie, Annie or even that damn midget made it. It was just him, the one who deserved it the least of all, Eren goddamn Yeager. At this rate he was probably going to be spending the rest of his life searching for them.
Worst of all, he couldn’t find any trace of the one he wanted to be with most of all. There was simply no Mikasa Ackerman to be found. He scoured through every single Ackerman family he could find but no dice. Yes, it was creepy and no, he did not care.
There it is, the monkey’s paw. He was finally given the peace and stability he needed all along but was sorely lacking the ones he wanted more than anything to share that peace with. Being able to get along (more or less) with Zeke was great, but the loss still hurt no matter how he attempted to make the most of his new life.
His nights were restless and mind consumed by the world he had left behind. His thoughts turned most of all to Mikasa Ackerman. He thought of their previous life and how at the end of it all he couldn’t help but wish for a tranquil life in the mountains with her, just the two of them. He had used the power of the Founding Titan to say proper goodbyes to all of his friends for their own sakes, but with Mikasa it was for both of them.
It was for both of them to have what was denied to them by the cruel world’s circumstances and Eren’s own terrible destiny. To live as husband and wife in the mountains for years, even in the other dimension of the PATHs, ending up bringing him more happiness than years of fighting for his so-called freedom.
He had ended the curse of the titans in the old world. There was a genuine chance of peace despite the ruthless means used to achieve it. All he could hope for was that Mikasa could live a long and happy life like she deserved. Only with that in mind could Eren find sleep at last.
“Mikasa, I just wish I could see you again…”
The new life Eren had as a high school student left him with a lot of free time on his hands and by extension a lot of time to get lost in regrets and “what ifs” regarding the other world. The thought of leaving Mikasa alone and not knowing her eventual fate haunted him to his very core. It wasn’t like he could tell anyone without coming off as some lunatic.
So, he resolved to pull the classic Eren Yeager move of bottling it up inside and burying himself in work, hobbies and various menial chores. Being domestic with his mom made him feel like a housewife yet it was oddly satisfying. Zeke was full of shit but playing baseball with him was exhilarating and humiliating him at Smash Bros. never got old. Maybe he could study medicine like his dad.
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*
At the very least it was calming to be able to walk through a “normal” city without walls, flesh eating monsters or a concentration camp in sight. Living another life really brought things into perspective. America was no paradise, but at least it was no Paradis either.
Somehow, with the looming threats and abominations to freedom gone it was far easier to enjoy the little things in life. He could finally stop to enjoy the gentle breeze that rustled the trees and to find peace in the boring day-to-day chores of normal life. He could finally smile at the sight of walls, which in this world held no purpose but to merely attract tourists and historians.
Browsing clothing stores had never ever held appeal of Eren. Yet still with absolutely nothing better to do he found himself wandering one’s aisles in mild curiosity. Maybe they had some black cardigans on sale or something.
He was actually enjoying himself somewhat before he saw that damn red scarf.
THE Red Scarf.
An exact replica of his old ratty scarf he had wrapped around Mikasa Ackerman one world ago caught the periphery of his vision. He couldn’t have missed it even if it wasn’t surrounded by ratty ties and ponchos, the only one of its kind and last in stock.
All thoughts of a comfortable new cardigan receded from his mind and memories of the Ackerman girl immediately took its place.
Should he buy it?
Would he even wear it?
If he bought it would he finally come to terms with what he lost or would it just make him miserable?
Does it even matter? It’s just a scarf, right?
Was he a madman?
The last question was easy at least. Only a complete idiot would be having an existential crisis over buying some neckwear. There he was in the middle of a boutique in midday grasping a scarf like it was the only thing the world. Right then, the words of ornery midget he served under came unbidden to him.
“Choose for yourself the decision you regret the least.”
“Fuck it, might as well.”
So he bought it. Eren acquired that old scarf and lost his dignity in return. Still, he adamantly refused to wear it or even try it on. It was purely to remind him of the girl he had loved, of the girl that was just about the only true beauty in a cruel world. Besides, it looked better on her anyways.
*
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*
He was about to leave the store scarf in possession when he gazed back at the aisle he found it. There was someone there, a young long black haired girl in a ponytail occupying the exact same space he did staring at the spot that once held the piece of fabric he coveted so fiercely. He couldn’t see her face but by the looks of it she was incredibly anxious at its absence, looking up and down as though it would appear if she scanned her eyes across enough. She must’ve really wanted it as well.
Eren felt a pang of guilt at that. Seriously, what was even the point? It’s not like he was even going to wear the damn thing. At least she would get some use out of it. With a sigh, he started to make his way towards her to give her the accursed thing quickly so he could pretend this all never happened.
“Hey, are you looking for…” Eren called to her.
But then she turned her head towards him and now he could see her face very clearly.
And all plans for the day and thoughts in his mind not related to Mikasa Ackerman promptly packed its shit and left.
It was her. There was no mistaking it. Black hair with a few messy strands blocking her forehead, angular Eurasian face with cheekbones to die for, onyx eyes that had the slightest tinge of blue and even the scar below her eye were all present and accounted for.
The girl of his dreams.
He froze in place. What the hell does he do now? He wanted to hold her so badly, but that might not go over too well. What if she didn’t remember him yet? Worse still, what if it wasn’t even Mikasa and his mind just finally snapped? He settled for calling out her name and seeing where it goes from there.
“M-Mikasa?”
The emotional range she could convey with her expressions in such a short amount of time would be hilarious to him if he wasn’t losing his shit as well. It began with confusion, shifting to shock and disbelief upon getting a good look at him. Then, the very second he sounded out her name despite supposedly never meeting her before, she began sniffling softly and clutching herself, as if to keep control of herself. That control she would fail to keep as the sounds crying and soft sobbing were unmistakable. She remembered.
She remembered him.
“Eren… Eren… Eren… ” she whispered, and then she rushed him with a speed that made the Jaw Titan look like a paraplegic.
Eren had grand designs of easing next to her with uncharacteristic caution, explaining everything and asking her out so they could finally get that happy ending that eluded them. Mikasa Ackerman decided those designs were stupid and so was caution when she bounded into his arms like she belonged there.
And she absolutely did belong there.
The reunion were probably drawing spectators, but Eren didn’t give a damn about them and their nonsense when he had far more pressing matters to attend to, like holding her and whispering words of comfort in her ear. He didn’t even have time to deal with whatever the hell was getting in his eye and causing his vision to cloud with tears.
“I-Is it r-really you, E-Eren?” she cried. Her eyes held thousands of words unsaid and regrets. The desperation was visible even to a blind fool like himself.
“Don’t worry, it’s me.” He has to reassure her, to tell everything will be okay. There won’t be a single thing on the planet that will come between the two of them ever again.
“I-I was afraid I w-would never s-see you again…”
“It’s okay, I’m here, we’re together now and I’m not going anywhere.”
In the chaos, that same cursed scarf they both yearned for fell out of his grip and somehow ended up draping itself around the two of them. So, there they were, Mikasa in Eren’s arms sobbing in disbelief and Eren holding Mikasa like a lifeline, scarf enveloping the two of them, as though it was a peculiar wedding ritual.
Now he knew exactly what to do.
He took one hand from its place around her and gently caressed her cheek. At this, Mikasa slowly tilted her chin up and looked at him. Her eyes were wet with tears, red and puffy and her lips were trembling. She was so beautiful that it hurt. They both leaned in further.
There, hidden away in an obscure aisle of a no-name dress-shop and red scarf of fate adorning them both, they both shared their first kiss in a world beyond the walls.