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It’s quiet this morning.
The only minuscule sounds that can be heard are the gentle breeze pushing the curtains and the quiet rustling of the grass outside. When was the last time he ever heard such tranquility?
A young man is currently sitting idly in his chair, no thoughts are on his mind, only basking in the sunlight rays beaming in his face.
His emerald eyes shine along with the sun, his short, brown hair slightly move in sync with the wind, and after what seems like a decade can form a moderate smile.
Everything is at ease, until he hears faint footsteps approaching him. He blinks a few times before lifting his head to see the beautiful face in front. This girl who’s all too familiar from her long, black hair to the permanent scar on her cheek, and she appears to be speaking to him.
“Eren…” She mutters.
The man comes back to his senses after a brief moment of composure; the eye contact he makes with the girl feels even better.
“Mikasa…” he answers in a low voice. “How long have I’ve been sitting here?”
“Not long, only about 30 minutes.”
“Huh? Half an hour is still long though.”
In surprise, Eren lifts his head away from the back of his chair, now he catches the smell of something brewing. The thick, rich coffee smell fill us the entire main room of the cabin and it sure is delightful. While Mikasa goes to check on it, Eren glances outside once more to see the scenery of flowers all in bloom; surely a sight that he’s rarely seen in his life at this point.
Turning his head back towards Mikasa, who has just finished pouring their coffee, he accepts the handed mug from her with a smile. He takes a small sip, still very hot, but nothing he can’t manage.
“So… have we received any news from Armin yet?” Eren asks, just staring at his drink swirling.
Mikasa looks over at him with an honest half-smile. “Not yet. And I’m afraid he had to cancel his visit later today, due to another meeting with other alliances and Historia.”
“Oh. I see.”
Saddened by this news, Eren gently lays down his mug on the table beside him. It’s been three years since the battle against the titans finally ended and the public are still conflicted. That’s why it’s now important for the remaining scouts to become ambassadors to negotiate for peace between Paradis and what’s left of the world; but at first it’s was much easier said than done.
After a lot of trial and error, things do seem to be picking up well. Whenever Eren or him and Mikasa head into the nearest town, the townspeople no longer give him those cold stares so the rumours of him being fully responsible for Fritz’s destruction had eventually died down. As much as the two would love to help out their friends more, they chose to settle low for a while in their cabin near the woods for the time being - it’s what’s best after all the hell the guy has been through.
“This means we’ll have another weekend with just the two of us.” Mikasa admits, a small blush shimmers on her cheeks but not enough for Eren to notice.
But he’s smarter than that; he can hear the shyness in her voice. It suddenly dawns on him that even if they’ve decided to settle in this pleasant, sheltered cabin together, due to now being fully aware of each other’s affections, the two still never gained the confidence to share a romantic moment or two privately. These past few months have been super occupied with political undertones, that never had a chance.
But on a quiet, refreshing morning such as this, Eren might finally get to have his say after all this time.
“Mikasa?” Eren softly speaks for her attention, it works, as she turns her head upward to look at him - curious eyes and everything.
“Would you mind… taking a walk outside? I know it’s early but… it’s quiet. It might help to take our mind off things. Are you okay with that?”
The black haired girl can feel her heartbeat picking up, her eyes sparkle and butterflies flutter inside. How rare it is for Eren to ask for requests such as this, so she doesn’t know how to respond quickly; the cute look of him nervously scratching his head sets her at ease. She doesn’t really have any other plans for today anyway.
“Yes, I don’t mind at all.”
Standing up from her seat, she reaches out her hand for him to hold (the closest way of romantic contact they can do right now). Eren proceeds with pleasure and the two adults slowly walk their way to the front door.
~
The outside fields are much more radiant in person. All the flowers and trees dance in the wind, they paint the meadows with all their bright colors, accompanied by the morning sun lightening up from the horizon. It feels as if a rich painting has come to life.
The pair have been strolling along hand in hand for a while, as they’ve been enjoying the scenery so much they lost track of time. Every few minutes, Mikasa will kneel down to glance at any kind of flower she’s rarely seen, or what she’s only seen from a distance, and the smile Eren witnesses every time lifts up his spirits. Now that his feet are within the fields, feeling the swishing grass beneath him, does he realise the bittersweet irony.
These fields were once the roaming grounds for titans, the very place they invaded nearly twelve years ago and took away everything that they held most dear. All the blood that was spilled have been replaced by the redness of roses, the tears to the rain which helps them to grow, and the pair who were once soldiers are peacefully smelling each unique scent as they possibly can.
From one flower to another, they decide to rest on a little empty spot of just normal grass. Mikasa assumes that she can see the ocean from here; mostly possible because there are no walls to hide it now. Squinting his eyes a little, Eren can see it too, and what a sight it is. To think that what was once an impossible dream to keep hold of is now a regular sight which he can view anytime he wants; it’s almost fantastical. He wishes to wrap an arm around Mikasa but doesn’t feel confident yet so he keeps his distance.
A laugh has been shared. A quiet laugh but clear. Eren thinks his ears are playing tricks on him but there’s no denying it. One look and he sees the bliss on Mikasa’s face; is it him or does the sun happen to make her face appear more luminous? Her eyes are shining like clear water, her ponytail waves behind her head and no minor scar on the cheek can ruin such a pure image of the girl he loves dearly.
Yes. He’s definitely in love with her.
But there’s something missing…
Eren’s gut is convincing him to look carefully, and there it isn’t - her old red scarf is not wrapped around her neck or at least holding it. If Mikasa smiling with glee isn’t a rare sight enough then this is certainly the rarest.
Eren hesitates to ask, but his curiosity gets the better of him.
“Mikasa… where’s your scarf?”
The girl takes her eyes off the horizon as soon as he brings it up. She touches her neck only to feel her bare skin, she looks at her side but nothing is left there. The surprise expression out of the sudden realisation makes Eren feel somewhat ashamed for mentioning it at all.
“I… guess I forgot about it.” Mikasa closes her eyes in regret.
“I-It’s okay. It’s just… not like you to go anywhere without it. That’s all I’m saying.”
Come to think of it, when was the last time she actually wore that thing? Looks like he’s been enjoying the quiet life with her that much that he lost track.
Mikasa remains untalkative for a brief moment, leading Eren to feel even worse, so he tries to bring up that he’ll quickly run back to the cabin to get it until…
“It was all battered and withered anyway.”
A more shocking statement comes right out the gate. An explanation follows before the confused Eren can respond back.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t throw it away, I’ve just…” She shakes her head tenderly. “I know it was special, I claimed that it is numerous times, but can’t be the constant thing on my mind with everything else going on and… having you here with me… I feel like I don’t need it anymore.”
That last part catches Eren’s full attention. She really has grown a lot since their days of war and it shows. From a girl who never expressed her thoughts or feelings aloud, to up front admitting she can move on from an outworn cloth and can still remain happy. This can be the appropriate time for Eren to do the same.
“Y-You don’t mind, do you?”
Here it is. The perfect opportunity. Eren smiles once more and gently grasps her hand.
“I don’t mind at all. It’s just a scarf. In fact… you might even look more prettier without it.”
One little word has Mikasa blushing red again, but she allows him to continue.
“I mean- What I’m saying is… it can be the start of a new life for us. Not just with fixing this healing world, but… continue to live here once everything has been said and done. We can walk across these fields or stroll into town or by the ocean, anything we’d like together. Everyone else can be there with us too. Either way, as long as I can make you happy.”
Bright red blush is glowing on his cheeks too, brighter than the roses around them. The wind slightly rises and brings some flower petals with it; flying above the young blooming couple with eyes locked. If one touch makes this moment any more perfect is the brighter-than-the-sun smile Mikasa gives in return after such a strong, heartwarming confession.
“Thank you.” She beams, followed by another cute giggle. “I’ve been waiting for you to say that for so long. A little bit corny but it was worth the wait.”
“Really? Well, guess I have a lot to learn with being all ‘lovey-dovey’ then.”
More laughs are shared between the new blooming couple, they shift closer to one another for a long awaited hug, and they fall back into the grass in sync. For the rest of the morning they stay locked in each other’s arms and briefly talk about their plans for the future - mainly on how to address this confession to their friends next time they see them. Eren cannot stop himself from looking at his new girlfriend’s lovely face even as the morning comes to an end.
Now Eren knows why the flowers are far more prettier today.