Lost in the Cruel World (Mikasa's Second Chance) (AOT)

2. The Warmth of His Scarf

AUTHOR'S POV:

"It's warm, right?" A nine years old Eren asked with a smile, blushing a bit.

Mikasa slowly opened her eyes and gapsed. "Eren...?" She looked around in confusion. "Huh?"

Grisha stepped forward a bit. "Mikasa?"

Mikasa cluched her scarf and looked down as the memories of killing Eren came to her mind.

"Why don't you-" Grisha said and stopped as Mikasa looked up at Eren with teary eyes.

"Eren, why?" Mikasa said and tears started to roll down her face. Then, she stepped closer to him.

"Huh?" Eren said in confusion.

Suddenly, Mikasa wrapped her arms around him and started crying on his chest.

Eren froze there while Grisha kept looking at Mikasa with concern.

"Eren, why?!" Mikasa said between her cry. "Why do you have to..." She sniffed. "...leave me like this?" She sniffed. "Why Eren?" She looked up at him as tears continued to roll down her face. "Why you always go far away from me?!" She tightened her grip. "Why?!" She buried her face on his chest and cried again. "Why can't you just let me stay by your side?"

Eren looked up at Grisha and shared a look. Then, he looked down at Mikasa. "Mikasa... I don't understand what you're saying..."

Mikasa looked up at him. "What do you mean you don't understand?!" She sniffed. "You once promised me to wrap this scarf around me as many times as I want. Didn't you?"

"I..." Eren trailed off.

"Then why, Eren?" Mikasa said with despair. "Why did you say that you have always hated me?!" She buried her face on his chest again. "Why that has to be our last conversation?!"

Grisha and Eren gasped at her words as it felt so genuine.

For some unknown reasons, tears started to roll down Eren's face.

By instincts, he wrapped his arms around Mikasa.

"Why Eren...?" Mikasa said. "Why do you have to go far away from me like this...?" She sniffed. "How can you expect me to just throw this scarf away and move on from you when you're the most important person in my life?" She sniffed. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Eren gasped while tears continued to roll down his face. He slightly blushed at her words. "Eh?"

"I care for so much for you not because I'm an Ackerman..." Mikasa said and looked up at Eren. "I care for you because you're the love of my life, Eren!"

Eren's face turned red while Grisha kept looking at them with wide eyes.

Mikasa sniffed. "Now, you're going to leave me forever... And I couldn't do anything to stop your inevitable fate." She choked on her breath and looked down. "I don't know how I'm going to continue living without you but..." She looked up at him. "But, I'll try, Eren. I'll never forget you. Never."

Eren's felt a aching feeling in his heart. He could feel the genuine despair in her voice.

The two of them kept starring at eachother while tears continued to roll down their faces.

One was confused while another one was in dispair.

After some moments, Mikasa put her hands on Eren's neck.

Then, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, still thinking that it was their last meeting.

But, it wasn't.