Sunrise ~ An Eremika Story

Chapter 14

It took the entire night for the wagon to finally reach Trost, and Mikasa slept on Eren's shoulder the whole way.

 She originally declined his offer, but he insisted that she slept. Once she rested her head on his shoulder, she immediately felt the exhaustion that had built up over the days. She could feel Eren's chest rise and fall which calmed her nerves, bringing her to sleep. 

She woke up to see the wagon's fabric cover, warmly colored by the sun. A complexion of orange seeped through the tattered fabric, shining light onto the wooden floor. 

"Morning." Eren muttered, as she looked up to the face inches from hers. She jumped back, almost falling off her seat. She quickly regained her thoughts, remembering how she fell asleep on his shoulder the night before. 

She relaxed her tense shoulders, "Good morning." 

She pulled the fabric back a bit, revealing multiple buildings. 

"We're here?" she asked. He nodded, "Yeah, the coachmen said we'd be at our destination in ten minutes, that was about five minutes ago." he explained, peeking through the fabric as well.

Once they arrived, they stepped out into the crowded streets of Trost. They took their time walking around, since the burial wouldn't be held for another four hours. 

They strolled through the markets, browsing the different stalls. Eren bought two peaches for their breakfast, while Mikasa purchased a bouquet of white daisies. 

When they walked through the neighborhoods, Mikasa studied the different homes. Eren was a bit suspicious, considering all of the house looked practically identical. 

"What's so interesting about the houses? They all look the same." Eren asked. 

Mikasa shook her head, "They're all different, look." she began, pointing to one home. 

Outside of the house, there was a string tied to a post, where laundry hung. "That house has a laundry line, and children's clothes are hanging from it. Little girl's clothes I'm assuming." she explained, studying the lively patterned skirts. 

Eren observed the laundry line, then drifted his eyes to the other home surrounding them. 

"Jean said he lives here." Mikasa randomly stated. 

Eren glanced at her, "Would you want to live here?" he asked. 

She kept her gaze on the houses, and shook her head. "No, I think it feels almost... trapped." 

Eren furrowed his brow, "And you claim that you want to move to the interior?" 

She ignored the remark, and continued strolling through the plain and identical streets. 

Time passed quickly, and they found themselves in the graveyard. Mikasa spoke to the gravedigger, while Eren offered his space by standing several feet away. 

He watched the gravedigger do most of the talking, while Mikasa solemnly nodded. She was acting so strong, it was admirable. Eren watched her give the gravedigger her thanks, before walking back towards Eren. 

He tilted his head, "What did he say?" he asked. Mikasa averted eye contact as she kicked the loose dirt on the ground. "He's just going to have me sign a few things... and then lower the caskets in the ground." she muttered. 

He watched her lip quiver as she spoke. He carefully took her hand in his own, and her eyes shot up to his. Her hand tensed up as she hesitated, but her hand relaxed as he gave her a reassuring smile. 

They walked back to the gravedigger and she signed a few wavers, while he explained to her what each of them meant. 

Shortly after, the burial began. He slowly lowered the wooden coffins into the ground in the eerie silence. Mikasa and Eren stood in front of the six foot hole, and the grip on Eren's hand tightened. 

She tossed the daisies she bought from the market into the hole, and watched them sprawl out over the coffins. It decorated them so nicely, it almost looked beautiful. But nothing about this moment was particularly beautiful, it was devastating.

Eren shook the gravedigger's hand, and led Mikasa out of the dark cemetery. They silently made their way back to the wagon, and Eren made small talk with the coachman once they got inside. They left Trost, and began their long ride back to their training camp. 

Eren watched Mikasa fiddle with her fingers, unsure on where to let out her staggering anxiety. He carefully placed his hand on hers, as she jumped in surprise. She looked back at him, confused on why he was trying to get her attention. 

He smiled softly, "You did a great job. I'm proud of you." he whispered. 

She gazed at him in shock, but her lips soon curved into a smile. She couldn't stop herself as she wrapped her arms around his waist, and pulled her head into his chest. 

Unsure if she did this to hide her tears, or to express her unbearable gratitude, she stayed there. "Thank you." she murmured into his chest. She didn't hear him respond, but she didn't expect him to. 

She loosened her grip and looked up. Their faces were inches apart, as they gazed into each others eyes. So silent, they could almost hear each other's fast paced heart beats. 

Their gazes slowly drifted down, towards each other's lips. Eren felt himself lean in slightly, as if her lips were drawing him in. 

A rock hit the wheel of the wagon, pushing Mikasa back and breaking the silence. 

Mikasa shook her head, breaking herself away from the heat of the moment. She cleared her throat, "We should... we should sleep." she concluded.

He solemnly nodded, "Right."