Chapter Text
*844*
Levi was walking down a street getting some tea for the refectory when he noticed a crowd had flocked around something. He couldn't see from that distance, so he walked up closer, watching as a man kneeled on one knee, pulled a ring from his suit and grandly presented it to a woman, resulting in her joyfully nodding her head and leaping into the man's waiting arms, tears in her eyes while the crowd applauded and cheered. Confused, when he arrived at headquarters, Levi had asked Hanji what it meant. She explained that to get married, a man would propose to a woman, preferably in a private place, to ask her to adopt his last name. Still confused, Levi asked her what "marriage" was. Disbelieving that Levi actually had no clue as to what she was talking about, Hanji began a speech to Levi about weddings.
"The couple, a man and a woman, stand under the arches and say their vows while the preist-"
"Vows?"
"Mm-Hm! They're like promises, everyone has to say them" She waved her hand dismissively. "Until death do we part, blah,blady blah. Again, everybody says them."
"Then the Preist says, "You may kiss the bride", and the groom, that's the man, swoops the woman into kiss under the arches."
"Disgusting. Why?"
Hanji rolled her eyes. "Levi, you obviously don't have a romantic bone in your body. Why wouldn't they? They're in love!"
"Are there any weddings where they don't kiss?" Levi asked, genuinely curious. Hanji thought for a moment, pushing her glasses up her nose.
"No, they're all like that." She chuckled. "Well, there are some that are different in other ways. My parents' wedding wasn't exactly normal-"
"Should I be surprised?"
Hanji ignored him. "My mother actually dipped my father for a kiss, but that's obviously different than what usually happens at a wedding. Then, after they all get out of the church, they go to the groom's family's house and have a feast. The newly weds cut the first meal that they have and give out plates of it to the guests."
This time, Levi waited for her to finish. "Why have the couple cut it instead of cutting it themselves?" Before Hanji could say anything, Levi continued in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Oh, Gee, maybe it's "symbolic"?"
The woman beamed. "Yep! It's seen as lucky to have the two lovebirds give the first meal, because," She made airquotes with her fingers while wearing one of her shit-eating grins, ""The newest wed must give food before the bed" if you catch my drift ."
Levi had to put extra effort into looking unamused to keep from laughing, as was normal with Hanji and her humor.
Hanji suddenly switched from a joking mood to a deathly serious one.
"Levi, I have a serious question," Hanji began, placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands.
"Do people not have weddings in the underground?"
Levi fell silent, staring at the table.
"I know it might h-have been a perso-"
"No, it's not. It's fine. In the Underground there wasn't much "love", It was mostly prostitution and thieves down there. The only thing that I could describe as close to marriage is when a prostitute lived with one of the thugs. It still wasn't very common. So no, no weddings or other lovey-dovey shit."
Hanji was silent, for once, and sat still without fidgeting while Levi was talking. She wanted to say something, but didn't know what would be okay and not condescending.
So she stayed silent.
"Don't look at me like that. Like I'm some damn stray that's been kicked. I honestly don't give a shit if you do, but know that you're wasting your pity on someone who has no use for it."
Hanji was still silent.
"Bah. I'm sorry I ever asked what that thing was. Sounds completely and utterly usless."Levi suddenly rose before he had to see, or hear, any more of Hanji's bullshit.
In reality, he found the idea of a wedding very... sweet. Maybe he did care, just a little.
One last question popped into his head.
"Hanji?"
Alarmed, Hanji looked up from the paperwork she had resumed from before Levi entered her office. The fact that he said her name wasn't the thing that startled her, it was the way he said it. It wasn't like him at all too show shyness in his voice, and she was already worried.
"Yeah? What's up?" She asked tentatively, not trying to overstep any boundaries.
Go ahead, ask me. I won't judge you. Just say it. Please.
"Never mind, stupid question..." Levi muttered after a long pause, turning on a dime and speed walking away, his question unanswered.
Damn.
*847*
It had been some time since that conversation with Hanji. In those three years, Levi learned quite a bit.
He also came to a conclusion of Commander Erwin Smith, the man he swore to follow after.... The First Expedition.
Never refer to it as if it was like any of the others, because it was special. In a terrible and great way.
The first time he had truely felt free. The first time he watched family die.
Levi saw now that Erwin never wanted to lead Isabel and Farlan to their deaths, he never wanted to split families and tear hearts apart. It was something he had to do. The once sworn enemy had somehow become his closest confidant besides Hanji.
He could have went on and on, but quite simply, Levi had fallen hard for Erwin. That's all there was to it.
So as Erwin wrapped his arm under Levi's shoulders, pulling him closer, he leaned into the taller man and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.
Levi knew that Erwin felt the same way, that wasn't the problem. It was that one day, he'd have to say goodbye to this...love? Yes, it was love. Maybe not always, never perfect, but it was love, not just... not-love?
In all his thinking, Levi made frustrated faces that Erwin found (though he'd never tell Levi) adorable.
"You okay?" Erwin questioned. Levi let out a noncommittal "Mmn" in reply. Erwin had always been quick to notice Levi's mood, and usually knew how to fix a bad one. For that, though he'd never admit it, he was grateful.
After arriving at the end of the stable corridor , Erwin stopped walking and motioned for Levi down to sit on the bench, next to him.
"You know, Levi, there is a reason I wanted to walk with you here..."Erwin began, fading awkwardly into silence.
He didn't say anything else.
"Well? Why did you bring me here?" Levi hated the way his voice cracked. He couldn't help it, Erwin obviously had brought him here for a reason, and by the way Erwin was avoiding Levi's eyes, it couldn't be good. Erwin took a deep breath and stared into Levi's eyes. "Levi, I haven't brought you here to break this thing we have. If that's what you were thinking, it's not true." Erwin stood up, only to kneel on one knee in front of Levi. "What'd you me-" Levi began but stopped himself as he saw Erwin pull a small, wooden box from his jacket pocket. Levi had only seen these on the streets of Sina, where the man would-what was the word- propose to the woman, to get married.
Oh. HolyfuckthisishappeningthisishappeningthisisrealthisissorealholySHIIT
"If anything, I've come to strengthen this thing, no, this love we have. Levi, I know this may come as sudden, but I love you. I want to spend the rest of my days with you, regardless of how many I have left. Please, if you won't say yes, I beg of you to at least think abo-"
The rest of his words were lost when Levi pressed his mouth up against Erwin's a bit harder than necessary, resulting in them toppling over onto the pavestones.
The commander chuckled. "Should I take that as a yes?"
That made Levi scowl, but only for a moment before softening his expression into a small but quite visible smile. "You should also take it as a sign to shut up and marry me already, Smith."
"Agreed."
*HALF A WEEK LATER*
Hanji was the first person Levi told about the engagement.
She was absolutely ecastic, happily babbling questions and only half-expecting answers.
"Oh, Levi! This is so, so, SOperfect! I'm just completely over the moon for you both!" She squealed, squeezing his hand excitedly again and again.
"Yes, you've told me damn well one thousand times that you were, and for the one thousandth time, thank you." Levi rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms.
Hanji wailed dramatically, putting her hand on her forehead."Wait, nuu! Let me examine the ring again! Please?" He obliged, sticking out his left hand and letting Hanji "observe" (ogle) the ring.
When Hanji had had her fill, she gripped Levi's hand tightly, preparing more questions.
"On a scale of graveyard to heavens-opening-and-angels-singing, how romantic was it?! I MUST know!"
"Augh, stop with the interrogation already!"
"Come on, tell me and I won't have to ask!"
After puffing out a pretend-exasperated sigh, Levi thought about Hanji's question. "Well, it was at the end of the stable hallway, so it was pretty private..."
Hanji raised her eyebrows suggestively.
"Ohh, so nobody could hear the lovemaki-"
"Oh, my god, please for the future of humanity stop talking or so help me-"
"Sorry! Couldn't resist, I'll stop. Try thinking of your future husband, I wanna see what happens."
"What the hell."
"To see if you smile or something, not if your nostrils contract or some scientific-y thing that you won't understand." Hanji smirked, knowing that Levi would know that she meant it in good fun. Levi raised his eyebrows but let Hanji's diss slide. Not for the first time in the past couple of days, he let his thoughts flood with Erwin. No matter how many times he thought about his fiancé, the rush of euphoria he got was still the same. There were times where he was supposed to be doing paperwork but got distracted daydreaming.
He never got distracted, never daydreamed.
He, king of thieves, turning soft? An unthinkable thought, but it was happening. Bleuh.
Unbeknownst to him, Levi subconsciously smiled while thinking of Erwin, and Hanji was fast to pick up on it.
"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed, pretending to be flustered while fanning herself. "Whatever shall we do, with those two lovebirds? Gracious, is that a smile I see on humanity's strongest?! Dearie me!" Levi was confused for a eternity-long moment until he realized that she was talking about him.
"I was not smiling!"
Hanji grinned and put on a pompous singsong voice. "Yes you di-id! It was beautiful!"
"Well, you tell anyone I'll-I'll" Levi blabbered, blushing the lightest shade of pink, barely noticeable to the normal person.
But of course, abnormal was Hanji's middle name.
"Oo-oo! Is that a blush I see?" She grabbed a piece of parchment and pretended to scribble on it. "I suppose I'll have to write that down under "Rare occurrences and phenomena", along with that soft smile!"
"Dearest fucking CHRIST, Hanji! Are you done? There's a reason you're the first to know about this, and it isn't so you can poke at me every second." Levi muttered angrily, finally snapping under the pressure he was in.
Hanji was immediately serious, literally dropping everything in her hands and staring at Levi.
"Wha-I'm the first to know?! Why?" She could have rattled off at least ten more questions but knew that Levi's patience lasted shorter than 3DM gear without gas.
"This is a serious question." Hanji nodded as Levi continued.
"Go on."
"If I remember correctly, you said that every bride has a Maid or Matron of Honor and every groom has a Best-man. I'm not sure which one I am, but..." Levi faded off, clearly embarrassed at putting himself in such a vulnerable position.
"Would you... be that? My...person?" He finished, looking up at Hanji for the first time since he had started talking. She was unusually quiet, looking down so Levi couldn't see her face.
"I'm...sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, I just thou-" Levi's sad response was cut off by Hanji barreling him over with a bear hug.
"WOOW!Are you seriously that stupid, that completely idiotic, that thickheaded to think that the thought of refusing crossed my mind! The hell you take me for?! How dare you think that I would leave my best friend, no, practically my BROTHER so easily!? Ha! You'll have to perform a FUCKING seance to even get CLOSE to getting away from me, you son of a bitch!" Hanji raged on, tears spilling out the side of her glasses as profusely as they did out of Levi's. He felt so fucking relieved to know that Hanji felt the same way as he did.
Family. That's what this is, I remember, thinks Levi, bringing up those old memories he had of his mother, still down in the underground. Waiting.
After Hanji had burnt off most the rage in her system, Levi said he felt tired and he wanted to go rest. Hanji agreed, knowing that he would want to be alone for a little while.
But when he was in his quarters and alone, his thoughts went straight to his only living family.
He hadn't visited her for years, he never had enough money. Levi had saved every penny he earned from the Scouting Legion to pay for his mother's way out of the underground. After years, he had saved enough for her to leave via stairwell and for her citizenship papers.
But was she still... alive? And well enough to travel to the surface?
Levi knew that the chances of her pimp letting her go was nonexistent, and he would have to fight to get her out, but he couldn't fight and carry her if he wanted to get out of the City uninjured.
At this point, he would just pray that she had enough strength to run.