Title: Happiness and Its Missing Letters

Syn: A series of notes, texts, and words passed between an awful speller and a lonely girl.

Once upon a time, in crayola markers on brown construction paper:

Deer Mikasa

i luv you and you are pretty and nice 2 me and i like holdign youre hand, pleeze mary me.

luv Eren

Dear Eren,

You need to fix your spelling. I love you too. Love, Mikasa.

Duz this meen you wont mary me

luv Eren

I will think about it. Love, Mikasa.

Once upon a time, in very sharp pencil on a doodled page:

Hey Mikasa,

what is the ansor to number 4?

Eren, this is an english assignment.

but I do not know the ansor.

You're supposed to make it up yourself, dummy.

what?! than how does the teacher know what is rite?

I wouldn't be concerned about content so much as spelling and grammar, if I were you.

your so mean.

Learn to spell.

Once upon a time, in dull pencil on a scrap of notebook paper:

Mikasa, have you been ok?

-Eren

I'm fine. Thanks, though.

No, something's wrong. What is it?

Nothing's wrong. What makes you think so?

I mean, you just look...sad. A lot. Anything I can help with?

I'm fine, Eren. Thank you.

Okay. Sorry for intarrupting you.

….It's fine. You should focus on your work.

Once upon a time, on the blinding screen of a laptop:

Eren: Hey.

Eren: Whats up?

seen by Mikasa.

Once upon a time, in the small space of a cell phone screen:

Eren: You doing alright? I feel like we never talk anymore.

seen by Mikasa.

Once upon a time, somewhere on his own screen:

Eren: where are you right now? your cousin just called me and he's worried sick.

Eren: Mikasa?

Eren: look I get that we're not really friends anymore, but this is serious. if your reading this, please answer me. your cousin is freaking out, and honestly I am too.

Eren: Mikasa, I am so serious. your cousins about to call the cops.

Eren: oh my god.

Once upon a time, on her own screen:

seen by Mikasa.

Once upon a time, through the open window:

"Mikasa?"

"...what are you doing here?"

"Making sure you didn't get yourself killed, you dumbass."

"Stop prying into my life."

"I'll stop when I know you're happy."

"Funny thing: no one's ever happy. So give it up."

"I was happy. Once."

"What, when we were little? We didn't know anything, Eren."

"I knew I was happy."

"Go home."

"I was happy because I had you."

"...that's bullshit."

"No, it's not. It's true."

"I'm too tired for this. Take your grade school fantasies somewhere else, Eren."

"You can't keep pretending like we weren't friends."

"I'm not. We were, and it was great. But now, we're not. So good-bye."

"...Fine. Good-bye."

Later, on her screen:

Eren: Just don't do anything else stupid.

Mikasa: I didn't plan to.

seen by Eren.

Later, on his screen:

Mikasa: ...can we talk?

seen by Eren.

Call started.

And through the phone:

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

"I've been….awful. To you, especially."

"I don't care about that. I just want to know what happened, Mikasa. I want to help you."

"And I've been stupid, to push you away."

"You weren't being stupid-"

"Because you're the only person who's cared enough to ask me anything."

"...is it about your parents?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got all the time in the world. Lay it on me."

"Alright…."

And on the screen of a laptop:

Mikasa: Hey.

Eren: whats up?

Mikasa: Thank you for listening, last night.

Eren: of course. I'm always here, Miks.

Mikasa: Do you want to maybe do something later today?

Eren: yeah, I'm free. Id love to cach up.

Mikasa:...cach?

Eren: …...thats not right, is it?

Mikasa: ….some things never change, I guess.

And in blue ink, on a cheap napkin:

Sorry, had to pee. Same time next week? Check yes or no.

-Eren

And in black ink, on another napkin:

I paid the check this time. Same time next week, as always.

-Mikasa

And in red ink, on a sticky note on her car window:

Flip me over for a fun fact.

And on the other side:

I love you.

-Eren

And, written in black marker on a crisp, white index card, it read,

Mary me?

Luv, Mikasa.

And, through tears, he said,

"Yes. Oh my god, yes."

Once upon a time, before the tree they raced around as children:

"Dear, Mikasa,

I love you. You're beautiful, all around, glowing like a goddamn angel 24/7, even when the world tries to throw you under. You're everything good, everything worth living for in this world, and I have never known what I was supposed to do without you. You are- pretty. And nice, and I like holding your hand. I promise to make you as happy as you've always made me. God as my witness. Love, Eren."

"Dear Eren,

Thank you for showing me so much. Thank you for always being there, even when I pushed you away. Thank you for giving me a home, a heart, and something- someone- to live for. I promise to be for you what you've been for me, to help you find the happiness you've brought me, and most importantly, I promise to fucking teach you to spell. God as my witness. Love, Mikasa."

And, more or less, the two lived hapily ever after.

AN: Beep boop. Thought I might as well post my entries this time around here, too.