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taomyou · 10 months

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The Romance of Reimbursements - Chapter 23

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Reader Status: COMPLETED Summary: There’s a guy you see every Friday on bus 143, and you think he’s pretty hot. It wouldn’t hurt to tell your best friend about him, would it? or, you and Levi take the same bus home from work every Friday, and you fall in love slowly, clumsily, and with all the time in the world to fold as many paper stars as your heart desires. Word Count: 15.9k Tags: slow burn, friends to lovers, modern au, office au, fluff, romance, meet-cute, matchmaking (A/N: this fic is entirely available on ao3 here if you would like to read it there instead!) Chapter Navigation Accompanying Playlist

the romance of reimbursements

“What do you think of getting married?”

Levi’s hand is fiddling with the top corner of his laptop, wiping away at a water spot that isn’t there.

Today, you and him are working at the dining table over a shared pot of tea. It’s the same set your parents brought over to your apartment when Levi first met them, and as much as the memory of that interaction embarrasses him, he’s grateful that these ceramics serve as reminders of a time before he understood was love was.

You hum songs to yourself while you review paperwork, kicking your feet underneath the time all the while. He’s been staring at a blank screen, having finished with his own clientele business a while ago, and hasn’t been able to muster up the courage to ask this until now.

It really shouldn’t be this big of a deal to ask.

You’ve been living together for nearly a year now, and everything’s as blissful as it can be.

Countertops are lined with canisters full of tea and stars and everything else that’s beautiful, and Levi’s started going through his mother’s collection of glass trinkets to find more decorations to keep in the living room. Flowers in glass vases adorn nearly every corner of every room, and despite protests from the both of you to stop, they somehow still reappear and fill the house with colors Levi doesn’t know how to name.

Days are spent learning about yourselves, about each other, about love.

It seems like every moment is precious in that regard, like Levi will miss something if he even blinks. At the same time, Levi knows that love is more than just what passes by him in slow bursts of time, and he allows himself to enjoy that, even in the quiet moments where he helps you dry your hair or you help him style his.

You do the grocery shopping together, the cooking together, the cleaning together.

There’s adequate space to breathe when either of you need it, but there’s always the promise of togetherness, even in the most boring, ordinary moments of the life he shares with you.

People mistake you for a married couple when they see you out in public, arms linked and more in love than anybody else in the world.

If someone didn’t know any better, the two of you were already married.

But Levi does know better.

He’s fine with already knowing that you’ll both have the rest of your lives to be in love with each other, but being on the same page about the more logistical future couldn’t hurt.

He isn’t asking you to get married. He wouldn’t do something as irresponsible as propose before coming to a mutual agreement about your relationship.

Perhaps he’s found a bit too much solace in imagining a future with you at his side, and he needs the reassurance that it’s okay to do that.

He doesn’t doubt your love for him at all. It’s knocked him off his feet this entire time, and it takes him off balance more and more each passing day.

Just that marriage is a big step, and it hasn’t come up explicitly before.

Vague whispers of a life together are said between the two of you, but Levi’s too shy of a lover to ask if they’re promises for a future.

The imaginary water spot on his laptop seems to be gone when you stop humming, absentmindedly picking up the paperwork you’re working on and realigning it by tapping in on the table.

“It’s a good financial investment for most people, and, I mean, I’d kinda be without a job if people didn’t get married, so I think it’s pretty important,” you answer. “Well, actually, I don’t handle as many divorce cases anymore, but still, important enough. Why do you ask?”

Levi wants to facepalm.

For fuck’s sake, this is what happens when you date a lawyer.

All of Levi’s apprehension gets replaced with a more lighthearted, endearing annoyance.

Why the fuck was he even worried?

You’ve talked about wanting a garden in the backyard, about how you want to have a second oven installed in the kitchen so you and Levi don’t have to bump into each other so often when you’re baking and he’s cooking.

Levi’s talked about wanting to change the showerhead to the style you had it in at your old apartment, about how he’s going to have to learn how to sew to repair the rips in the fabric of your well-loved clothes.

He knows this is forever, even if only spoken through the mundane.

“I meant to me, idiot.”

Levi watches as the gears start turning in your mind, and when your heart finally catches up to your mind, the red that tinges your ears adds more fuel to the flame already burning in his heart.

You raise your stack of paperwork up to your face to hide your blush, only daring to look at Levi over the top of the sheets in brief glances.

The sight of you right now, face flushed and fully unaware of how beautiful you are, even in the most ordinary, unimportant moments of life, has Levi’s heart spilling over.

Levi shuts his laptop closed and reaches across the table to pull down the paper you’ve got covering your face. You give no contest other than an embarrassed smile, and his hand is on yours as you move to put the stack down.

You move to hold his hand in yours, and because it’s your right hand, Levi holds out his other hand so he can also hold your left. You scoot in closer with your chair so that you can get a bit more comfortable, and you hold his hands in yours.

Levi thinks that he forgets how to speak, he’s so overwhelmed. It seems you’ve also lost the ability to form words, trying to convey all the feelings of your heart through this one innocent touch, but Levi knows what you’re trying to say.

The fact that you’re really here, right in front of him, holding his hands at the dining table and drinking from a pot of tea that’s gone cold and doing paperwork and enjoying life in its most unimaginative forms, is enough of an answer for him.

And as time continues to pass, just like the scenery through the windows of bus 143 did many moons ago, there’s more than enough answers to his question that he doesn’t ask it again until he’s down on one knee in a sea of quiet that’s still too loud for him.

And as unromantic as that is, he wouldn’t want it any other way.

After you give your yes, though, you gently scold him through happy tears for not buying your ring with that unused jewelry voucher you got from your promotion party.

He waits until you’re done crying before whisking you away to wherever your heart desires, and the next morning, he nudges you awake to get ready to head into the city together to get himself a matching engagement ring.

♡

“Hurry up!”

“Okay, okay, we’re going as fast as we can! Here,” Hange pulls the phone away from their ear and taps the screen to light it back up. “You’re on speaker!”

“Hurry up!”

Isabel groans, trying to steady her hands amidst the chaos. “Furlan, stop calling us! It’s his fault we’re even stuck in here!”

You have to hold back your laughter when Isabel brings the makeup wipe back up to your face.

She’s not wrong.

It really is Levi’s fault that the three of you are back in Hange’s car right now, trying to fix your makeup right as the ceremony’s about to begin.

“I don’t care! He’s literally freaking out right now! Erwin is trying his best to keep him here but-“

Hange laughs before hanging up on Furlan, and they turn back around to hug their seat’s headrest and look at you and Isabel in the backseat. “Having fun back there?”

Isabel sighs before rubbing gently at a spot underneath your lips and then pulling away to get some concealer from her makeup bag. “No.”

This time, you can’t hold back your laugh and neither can Hange, and soon enough, all three of you are unable to compose yourselves.

“I can’t believe I’m getting married,” you say wistfully.

“I can! I fucking called this ages ago!”

Isabel dabs some concealer on the lipstick stains that can’t be removed by the makeup wipes. “I’m really happy for you guys, but I’m gonna kill both of you! I spent forever on your makeup just for you to kiss it all off!”

You smile apologetically, mindful of Isabel working. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“Girl, what do you mean ‘you didn’t mean to!?’” Hange snorts.

You kick the back of their seat playfully. “You heard me.”

“Stop moving!”

You laugh. “Okay, okay.”

Isabel playfully rolls her eyes and grabs the lipstick from her bag to put on you, and when she’s done, she unlocks the camera on her phone and holds it up to you. “Look good?”

You rub your lips together slightly and check that your teeth aren’t stained by the color, and you nod before getting whisked out of the car.

Other city-goers and workers in the building stare at you as you run down the street and through the doors to get to the courthouse, but that doesn’t rid you of the smile on your face.

When you get to the exact courtroom you’re due to be married in, you nearly crash into someone who’s rushing out the doors, but when you turn to tell them you’re sorry for bumping into them, you see that it’s Levi.

His eyes catch yours, and the two of you stare at each other in the quiet that exists between the blurs of people around you.

He doesn’t look any different than he did thirty minutes ago when the two of you were caught kissing after checking in for your first round of paperwork, but he somehow is even more beautiful than he was then.

Which really should be illegal, but because he’s about to be your husband, you’ll let it slide.

To think that the beautiful stranger from bus 143 would be here, in front of you with his face red and with his lips stained a faint pink from your lipstick and in a suit you’ve picked out together, is a dream you didn’t know could come true.

And to think that you’re also right here with that stranger, wearing a simple white dress and jewelry that glitters underneath artificial lights and shoes that’re definitely not meant for running, in front of someone who loves you so dearly.

There’s no words to describe how this feels, and that makes it all the more beautiful.

The small ensemble of Hange, Erwin, Furlan, and Isabel somehow manage to get the two of you back into the room and out of the way of other people passing by, and suddenly, the two of you are holding hands as a city officiant you don’t know the name of recites formalities that you’ve already read over at work a million times before.

You imagine that Levi isn’t really listening either, especially seeing as he’s completely focused on the feel of your hands in his, rubbing the knuckle where your wedding band will sit in just a few moments.

You wonder if that’s why he likes holding your left hand. If he always knew he would be here, in this moment where you and him couldn’t be any less bothered by the hum of the air conditioning or the flashes from Hange’s camera or anything else around you.

You do find it quite hilarious, though, that the first time he asked you about getting married, you responded the way you did, and it seems as though this is the result of that.

People think that marriages of love were meant to be in lavish venues, in front of the rest of the world and the stars in the sky themselves.

As in, not in a courthouse.

And here you are now, in a courthouse with only your closest friends and a stranger from a bus you frequented many moons ago, getting married.

To be fair, though, you never dreamt of getting married before.

It never was that you couldn’t see a future with Levi.

You always could, even before you realized that was what was happening. Promises of a forever together were made in hushed whispers on bus rides to the supermarket and in loud proclamations of love on both important and unimportant dates. Mentions of children that’d grow up on his cooking and your baking were frequent enough to hold their own weight in your mind.

It was never a question of whether you and Levi would ever get married either. You knew better than anyone else just how important it was to be pronounced legally wed, but for the longest time, it seemed like that was the only purpose it’d ever have. It wasn’t something to dream about because it didn’t have the sentimentality worth dreaming of.

It wasn’t until Levi, in the comfort of the home you’d built together, asked you to think of it as something more than the clinical process you knew it as.

It wasn’t that you suddenly had a change of heart and immediately equated marriage to love. That wasn’t realistic, and there was no detaching the legal parameters you understood marriage within, no matter the circumstance.

But…

Something about being asked about getting married, no less by someone who you knew as the epitome of love and comfort and warmth and all things beautiful, let you believe that it could have the meaning you so desperately wanted it to have.

You could give it the heart that you wanted it to have, even if that didn’t actually change what it was on paper, and in the confines of your heart, marriage eventually blossomed into a promise beyond the legalities and logistics.

So here you are now, in a courthouse with your dearest friends and the man you’ve fallen in love with under every moon, getting married.

Even in this drab room with poor lighting and ugly wallpaper, you still feel just as happy as any other person afforded the privilege of getting to spend the rest of forever and beyond with someone they love, even though you know that it isn’t anything special if you’re being realistic.

When Levi slides the ring on your finger, all while reciting vows and other promises of happiness and sorrow and joy and love, you can barely even remember what you’re meant to say next until he lets go of your hand to push back a stray strand of hair behind your ear to bring you back to reality.

You’re still a mess of nerves and excitement as you stutter out sentences lovingly put together in an attempt to encapsulate all the memories of the last three years, but that hardly bothers you when you know that Levi’s hanging onto your every word, regardless of how incomprehensible you think you sound.

When you slip the ring on his finger and the officiant declares you wed, Levi doesn’t wait for even a second before leaning in to kiss you for the first time as your husband.

Your friends are obnoxious, screaming and shouting and crying, but you can only hear the sound of Levi’s heartbeat as his hands find their way up to your face to wipe away even more tears. He eventually has to pull away, desperate for air, and even though you miss the feeling of his lips on yours, you smile when you see him reach up to touch the faint traces of lipstick on his face.

The moment feels cut short when the officiant asks the two of you to sign the certificate, the ceremony having already gone past the time allocated to it, so after you pen your name and he does the same, you’re whisked away once again.

And as unromantic as that is, you wouldn’t want it any other way.

♡

“Could we get some paper napkins?”ev

“Of course!” The waiter comes back near instantaneously with a stack of white paper napkins and sets them on the table. “Anything else for you six?”

“No, thank you.”

Levi moves the stack over closer to you, and he takes a napkin from the stack to tear a strip of it off for you. He pushes his drink further away from where you sit so that the condensation of the glass doesn’t dampen the paper, and after handing you the first piece, he tears another one for himself to make a star for you.

“I forgot to ask, but why’d you guys decide to get married before the wedding?” Hange asks, taking a sip of their drink. “It’s only a month away! Couldn’t you just wait?”

You lean over to put your head on Levi’s shoulder as you start folding the paper, humming absentmindedly. “It’s just a lot more convenient,” you answer.

It really is. Levi mentioned not really knowing what he wanted for the ceremonies anyway, so there wasn’t really any reason not to go ahead and get the paperwork out of the way.

As much truth as there is in saying that, though, you and Levi did want to keep the exchanging of vows as intimate as possible, and this felt like the best way to do it.

Neither of you desired the pressure of having to prove your love to one another in front of people who didn’t understand that words weren’t as important to you as silence or gestures or any of the other boring things in your relationship.

So you’ll enjoy that here, where your friends love you, understand you, and don’t think it’s weird that you and Levi both vowed to never stop paying each other back the most asinine things imaginable.

But for the sake of your own sanity, you’ll play up the role of convenience to save yourself and Levi the embarrassment and teasing that’ll probably still come your way regardless.

They probably understand your decision to get married earlier as a lawyer thing, anyway.

“Erwin knows, there’s just too much paperwork when you get married.”

“There really is,” he agrees. “I still have nightmares about filing marriage licenses, and I’ve been out of that department for years now.”

“Why are you even asking, Four Eyes?” Levi chides. “You’re still so fucking nosy. You’re, what? Thirty now? And you still act like a fucking child.”

By now, he’s finished folding his paper and has tucked in the end, and he holds the little pentagon between his fingers as he waits for you to show him how to fold the corners.

You love him just a tiny bit more than you already do in moments like these, where you know he’s letting himself fall in love with you all over again.

As you show Levi how to pinch the corners, Hange fake sobs, burying their face in their hands. “Levi! You’re such a bully!” They pull their hands away from their face and smile. “But yes, I am thirty! I’m flattered you remember!”

“You’re a year younger than me, fucker. I can do the math.”

“Actually, I’m nine months younger than you, so you must’ve remembered my birthday to get it correct!”

“How the fuck am I supposed to forget what day their birthday is when they make an absolute fool of themselves every single fucking year?” Levi grumbles underneath his breath. He holds out his star in the palm of his hand to you. “For you.”

You smile, and after taking the star from him, you give him the one you just made.

You move away from Levi’s shoulder, propping your head up on one hand as you roll the delicate origami between your fingers. You can feel his gaze on you as you turn the star, watching as you feel the dips and grooves on the paper, and from across the table, you hear Hange digging around their bag for something, then a click from their camera.

“Smile!”

You blink from the flash, and you look over at them as they lean on Isabel’s shoulder to show her the picture. “Look! Isn’t that adorable!?”

She brings her hands up to her cheeks, giddily shaking her head as she squeals. “You guys are so cute!”

You giggle, kicking your feet underneath the table. “I know.”

The camera gets passed to Furlan, who nods with a bright smile as he holds out a fist for Levi to bump. Instead of doing that, though, Levi swats it away and rolls his eyes before moving to rest his head on your shoulder.

He makes sure to put his star on the table to free up his hands to hold yours.

The camera gets passed across to Erwin, who smiles proudly as he looks at the picture. “I’m so happy for you both, you really do deserve each other.” He tries to pass off the camera to Levi, but even after Erwin clears his throat, he ignores him. “Levi, did you want to look at it?”

You feel Levi shifting on your shoulder, expecting his warmth to leave you, but instead, he readjusts himself even closer to you.

“I want to look at my wife.”

The table erupts with laughter and other sentiments of joy, and you turn towards him to hide your blush in his hair as your heart picks up speed. His hand squeezes yours, careful not to crush the paper star that’s still tucked between your fingers, and he laughs along with them.

“You can’t just say something like that,” you mutter.

“Really now?”

“Yeah, I’m going to have a fucking heart attack.”

“I guess that makes two of us, then.”

He brings your hand up to place it on his chest, where you can feel his heart threatening to burst out of his ribcage, even through the fabric of his suit.

God, you’ll never get tired of learning all the ways his love for you manifests itself.

“What a bunch of losers!” Hange cheers, raising their glass in the air. “To the most pathetic couple in the world!”

Everyone else grabs their own drinks, waiting for you and Levi to join in. You reach for your drink with your free hand, taking your other hand off his chest to hold his hand underneath the table.

“You’re really going to join this stupid toast?”

You laugh. “Well, they’re right, aren’t they? We are pretty pathetic.”

He groans before sitting upright, reaching across the table to get his drink.

Not before taking back his star to put it in his pocket for safekeeping, though.

Glasses clink together and spill sugary liquid onto the wooden table and laminated menus and stacks of paper napkins. You lament the loss of warmth as Levi takes his hand away from yours, but your heart lights back aflame when you see that Levi’s got his hand raised to flag down the waiter for more paper napkins.

After wiping down the table with a napkin, he does the same thing he did earlier and tears away two strips of paper—one for you, and one for him—and he still waits for you to show him how to pinch the corners. You and him are back in your little bubble, away from the noise of everything else, and you break away from that when the food arrives and conversation beckons you and Levi to talk more about your plans for the wedding.

They already know the ins and outs of the celebration, all being in the wedding party themselves, but you think they just like hearing you and Levi talk about it anyway.

Levi lets himself be the center of attention in spite of his usual avoidance of such spotlight, probably because he’s too occupied by the feelings in his heart that bloom as he talks about such an event, but before he lets himself forget, he stops himself in the middle of a sentence and holds out his hand to Hange.

“Give me your fucking camera.”

Hange hands him the device, already opened to the first photo they took today of you and him getting ready together at the house.

You put your head back on his shoulder, watching as he clicks through photos and talks even more about the wedding. He’ll stop every now and again to trace his finger over something he’s found particularly striking in the image, and you’ll chime in with your own thoughts every so often, but for the most part, conversation carries on as normal.

Just as Levi’s gotten started talking about how much planning went into the seating arrangements, he gets to the photo Hange’s just taken, with you looking at the star while Levi looks at you, a faint smile on his face as he admires you as if you’re art itself.

As if your heart wasn’t bursting at the seams already, you melt right there and feel yourself sinking further into the love that already overwhelms you and afford you solace.

You look further to your left to see what Levi’s reaction is, and your heart soars when you see him already looking at you.

Maybe it’s better than you never dreamed of marriage, because there’s no way that you’d be able to imagine something so painfully beautiful, even in your dreams.

♡

Levi never dreamt of getting married.

Even as he helps guide guests to their seats and makes sure that all the flowers are arranged perfectly, he never imagined this ever happening to him. It feels even less real when he’s finally stood at the altar, asking everyone around him to check his suit for wrinkles and his shoes for specs of dirt.

It was never that he thought marriage was stupid or frivolous or unimportant.

On the contrary, Levi never dreamt of getting married because he wasn’t sure if he was capable of making that sort of promise to someone.

For the longest time, Levi didn’t know if he even had a heart capable of loving someone enough to want to make that promise. It never seemed like there was enough space for him to even love himself, nevermind another person.

And, really, who would want to marry him?

He’s cold.

He’s unfriendly.

He’s shy.

He’s awkward.

He’s hard to understand.

He’s… himself.

And perhaps he’s just too jaded in the sense that he’s always believed weddings were emblematic of all the things he wasn’t—loving, sentimental, romantic, beautiful—and he couldn’t imagine himself having that, never mind getting married on its own.

Of course, most weddings were still gross displays of what people think love should look like, but that wasn’t what made Levi avoidant of dreaming of one for himself.

Marriage just seemed so unrealistic for someone like him, the same way that love seemed unrealistic for someone like him.

So, no, Levi never dreamt of getting married.

He did, however, dream of you.

Fuck, he still does, and he’s sure he will for the rest of his life and beyond the grave.

He remembers it happening the first time: a dream.

It was when you first stepped onto bus 143 with your stupid briefcase and your stupid fancy shoes and your stupid smile, biting your lip as you struggled to put your bus fare card back into your wallet as you walked to your seat.

Levi just didn’t know what else to do.

He stole glances at you from across the way, praying to powers he didn’t believe in to make sure that you didn’t catch him. Your eyes never seemed to stray from your feet or the windows directly behind him, and he was grateful that you didn’t look at him.

Well… some part of him was grateful you didn’t.

That day, he dreamt of what it would be like to have made eye contact with you, the beautiful stranger from bus 143.

He caught glimpses of sun that caught on the colors of your eyes: maybe he’d have seen that more of that light if your eyes actually met his.

Or maybe he’d just fall to the floor, too nervous to even introduce himself.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

Never mind that, though, because after getting off at his stop, he never thought he’d dream again after that.

He didn’t see you any of the other days he took the bus, at this exact time and on this exact route. He resigned him to thinking of you as being exactly what you were: a beautiful stranger, a love that would’ve come and gone, no matter what dreams he had.

Of course, he didn’t think of it as anything even remotely similar to love.

It was simple interest and intrigue for someone who he thought was admittedly very attractive, but there was no way that could’ve blossomed into something more, right?

Imagine his surprise when, a whole week later, he saw you again, with that same stupid briefcase and that same stupid smile, greeting the bus driver before humming to yourself as you walked to that same seat across from him.

That time, he dreamt of what it would be like if you had sat next to him instead, but as time went on, that dreaming stopped.

Levi knew better than to reimagine someone’s entire personality and life experience, and he wasn’t going to let himself fall into that void of curiosity.

Dreaming of a past he wasn’t a part of was a waste of time anyway.

He caught on to the fact that you were only going to ever be on the bus on Fridays, so he’d put in a lot a bit more effort into his appearance on those days, and he’d move along with his life.

He’d force you out of the confines of his mind, and he only allowed his mind to wander to you when Fridays came and you were sat across from him.

But really, all of that was in vain when Hange invited him to a last-minute dinner to meet their neighbor-turned-best friend, and that woman ended up being the same stranger from bus 143.

Dreams of you, then, became capsules of a love Levi unknowingly yearned for in the present.

He latched onto memories of repayments offered by the both of you, onto other promises of things that’d keep him close to you, and he’d spin them into dreams of his own.

Him asking Hange to tell you to stop with the reimbursements was a feeble attempt at stopping his slow-burning desire for more opportunities to talk to you, but he’ll forever thank the universe for that message seemingly never reaching you.

Fiending for the light of a love he didn’t quite understand yet didn’t make any sense to him at the time, though, but thinking about it now, he’s happy he allowed himself those simple dreams.

Dreams where he didn’t need to be concerned about anything other than you, him, and nothing else. Where he lays in sunlight next to you, or where the wind blows through your hair as you and him walk through cities, or where he doesn’t mind that the tea goes cold before he can drink it.

Dreaming of a present as he was living it should’ve been a waste of time, but Levi didn’t care. If he could imagine another day of nothingness with you, that’d be enough for him.

And as he waits at the altar, the music finally playing, he dreams again.

Only this time, he dreams of a future.

Dreams of a present nothing never faded.

He still yearned for meaningless days spent in kitchens and offices and restaurants and apartments. He still longed for moments of sweetness where you’d cut his bangs and he’d zip up the backs of dresses for you. He still dreamed of holding your hand in his, feeling the warmth of the shy flame in your heart.

And even though he can’t quite remember when dreams of something further away started, somewhere between the days of him cooking in your old apartment’s kitchen and the nights you’d spend in his bed, he began waking up to dream about a life spent together with you.

He dreamt of doing taxes together with you.

Of tending to beds of flowers in a backyard with you.

Of tasting recipes you haven’t invented yet.

Of buying new canisters of caffeine-free tea for you.

Of raising children with his hair and your starry eyes.

In secret, he’d build models of homes you’d describe in your own dreams, with windows that let moonlight in and a porch where you could shake your fist at the people who’d steal from a lemon tree you’d plant in the front yard. As he’d put the pieces together, he’d dream of those homes having two ovens and colored glass trinkets on display and flowers and canisters of stars and everything else that’s beautiful.

Just like he wishes for the home the two of you share now.

In secret, he’d stuff his work cabinets full with sketches of a smaller playhouse he’d dream of designing for children he’d give the world to. When they’d get too full, he’d lay the sketches all out on his desk, and he’d start back at the beginning and try to imagine what their favorite colors would be.

But, to be completely honest, he was scared.

It hit him one day that he had too many dreams for a man as uninspired as himself, and he’d started to question himself in the midst of those dreams.

Was he allowed to dream of something so far away from him? Was he allowed to let himself believe that a future like that would be possible?

Promises to fulfill those dreams slipped through both his lips and yours, but even though he knew he’d have the rest of forever to love you and be loved by you, he still didn’t know if it allowed for him to dream.

Fuck, was he ever even right to dream at all?

It wasn’t for lack of love.

Most definitely not. He feels like he’s still falling in love with you, just as clumsily and ungracefully as he did when he was younger and more blind to the feeling, and he knows it’s the same for you.

You look at him like he’s the moon and the sun and the stars, all at once, and as much as he’s still in astonishment at the fact that you can even tolerate him in the first place, he knows you love him just as much as he loves you.

Togetherness was always promised—that much was certain—but all those dreams seemed too good to be true. Even as time went on and he proposed and he got married and he signed that certificate, he still wasn’t sure.

But…

Something about seeing you right now, walking down the aisle in shoes that’re studded in simple gems that catch sunlight and a dress far more beautiful than anything else, lets him realize that he is allowed to dream.

That dreams of a future, no matter how grandiose, can come true, and that he’ll have all the time in the world to make that happen.

So here he is now, underneath a wedding arc with the woman he’s fallen in love with under every star-filled sky, getting married.

After the officiant (who’s mostly for show, since you’re technically already married) is done reciting words that Levi doesn’t really care about, he slides that same wedding band back on your finger, reciting vows that’re simplified to make for a less awkward exchange of vows.

He still means everything he’s saying, but you and him both know that this is a formality, and that the words that really matter are the ones that spilled from his lips and yours at the courthouse.

You’re just as much as a mess you were back then, even with the stripped-down vows you give, but Levi doesn’t care that you’ve found yourself stuttering like a fool.

He thinks it’s… rather cute.

After you put the ring on his finger, he lets go of your hands to wipe away tears that bead up in the corners of your eyes. The guests in attendance all coo at the sight in front of them, but Levi wishes they’d just shut up so he could hear you quietly thank him instead.

You start leaning in to kiss him when the officiant says you can, but Levi stops you and tilts his head over to Hange and Isabel, stood behind you and making X’s with their arms to tell you to wait for the photographer to get in position to take the picture.

When you turn to look back at them, you laugh before shaking your head and waiting with a dumb smile on your face.

The wedding party moves over to where the guests are seated to get in frame, and photographer moves to stand at the spot where the officiant was to be able to take the first kiss picture facing the audience.

Earnestly, Levi couldn’t care any less about which way this first kiss would be captured because he’d remember it regardless, but he can’t deny that there’s a joy in knowing that this moment could be shared with people so dear to him.

When the photographer gives the okay, you don’t waste even a second before comfortably slotting your lips between his, and Levi feels like he’s dreaming again.

Somehow, of the past, the present, and the future, all at once.

He feels like he’s kissing you for the first time all over again, when you tasted of sweet midsummer raspberry tea.

He feels like he’s at home in the present, feeling all the emotions in your heart spilling over into his as if he’s worth of such sweet affections.

He feels like he’s experiencing a future already, one where the wind picks up pollen that tickles his nose as he watches you go out to the front yard to pick lemons for the tea that’s brewing.

As he stands here right now, though, smiling against your lips as he listens for the sound of your heartbeat in between cheers and camera shutters, he dreams of you, and he isn’t scared to.

You eventually have to pull away for oxygen, as does he, but even though he misses the feeling of your lips on his, he lets himself go red when you grab his right hand in your left and raise it in the air.

“We’re married!”

The joy in your voice electrifies him and sends sparks all throughout his body, just like it did when you and him were officially wed last month, and he stares dumbly at you as you cheer and wave your bouquet in the air with your other hand.

The wedding party all line up on the aisle, pumping their fists in the air as they wait to you and Levi to walk down the aisle together for the first time, and before you can even tug his hand forward to get going, Levi picks you up in a bridal carry, sweeping you up off your feet.

You yelp as you leave the ground, but you laugh once your hands are securely around his neck. You lean in just a tiny bit to kiss him on the cheek, but because Levi’s had enough of your lips being off of his, he turns his head and meets your lips halfway and kisses you there.

It’s hardly a kiss when your smile doesn’t afford him the space to even move his lips, but somehow, that’s even more romantic to him than if you were to just kiss him back.

His heart hurts as he pulls away from your lips, but when you hold onto him even tighter than you did earlier, he’s absolutely done for. As you and him go down the aisle, you wave to the guests for the both of you, and Levi gets reason to hold you even tighter so that you don’t fall.

Your voice is loud, thanking people for their well wishes, and your voice is quiet, whispering I love you’s as soon as there’s a break in the noise around the two of you.

Maybe it’s better than he never dreamed of getting married, because there’s no way that he’d be able to imagine something so painfully beautiful, even in his dreams.

♡

“Please, no inappropriate jokes! My family’s here!” You plead, shaking Hange’s shoulders back and forth.

Hange laughs, nodding as they pull you in for yet another hug. “Oh, come on, I wouldn’t do that to you guys on your wedding day!” Their head leaves the crook of your neck to look over at Levi, who’s stood behind you and talking with the rest of the wedding party. “Right, Levi?”

He scoffs. “Yeah, right.”

“See! You have nothing to worry about!” They pull away from you and readjust the collar of their suit, then check the time on their phone. “Okay, it’s my time to shine! Erwin, make sure everyone’s in the right order, yeah?”

“You got it.”

“Perfect!” Hange waves at you and everyone else before turning on their heels to head into the reception hall, microphone already in hand.

In this small hallway that leads into that hall, you and everyone else move around to get ready to head in yourselves, checking each other for dress stains and unkempt ties. Erwin’s remembered the order with which everyone enters: Eren and Mikasa first, Petra and Armin second, Moblit and Miche third, Erwin and Hange (who would… probably run off the stage and back to the doorway just to walk in together with him) fourth, and you and Levi last.

After you’ve made sure that everyone’s all neat and ready to go, you walk over to Levi and wait for your turn to head in. As you wait, you happily hum as you swing Levi’s hand in yours.

“What’re you thinking about?” You ask.

“You.” He looks over at you. “I’m always thinking about you.”

You giggle, still swinging your hands.

God, what an idiot.

Your idiot.

“Well, other than that, then.”

He hums before coming up with another answer. His eyes follow the door as Eren and Mikasa step out into the reception hall, the cheers from inside leaking out in the brief seconds that the door swings open. With that noise, Hange’s voice is somehow still the loudest.

“Then about how Hange is our emcee,” he says. “What the fuck were we thinking?”

You laugh, tipping your head back to somehow try and contain your laughter. “It suits them, though, doesn’t it?”

He sighs as Petra and Armin step through, the noise somehow even louder this time. “Yeah.”

When it came to decide who’d do what for the wedding, you and Levi both suggested Hange for the emcee role.

They’re loud, rambunctious, unfunny—exactly what you need from a speaker.

As much as you and Levi knew Erwin to be the objectively more sensible choice, both of you agreed that you’d rather risk Hange’s mischief than sit through Erwin going on long-winded tangents about marriage and life and everything else that’s boring.

Not that Hange wouldn’t probably be doing the same, but they’re just a lot more… entertaining to listen to.

Full offense, Erwin.

It’s alright, though.

Erwin’s the Best Man, so he had more than enough to do during these planning stages. He arranged all the suit fittings and transportation, and he led the charge for most of the parties (alongside Hange, of course).

Actually, you were quite surprised to find that Erwin’s version of organizing a bachelor party was to book a cozy weekend in a cabin at the lake, but it was a pleasant surprise, and Levi really enjoyed himself in spite of protests that he’d miss you too much to go.

But anyway, Moblit and Miche enter the hall, and now it’s only you, Levi, and Erwin left. Erwin’s ear is to the door, trying to hear for when Hange’s about ready to call him into the room, and when the call comes, Erwin straights up and adjusts his tie.

“Well, time to head in.”

Levi nods and looks over at Erwin whose eyes were already on the raven-haired man.

"What are you looking at me like that for, fucker?"

Erwin chuckles at that, giving his friend a good-natured pat on his back. "C'mon, Levi. Let a man enjoy his best friends’ wedding," he lightly scolds.

Levi swats his hand away. “Yeah, whatever.”

You smile to yourself when you feel the stutter of his heart as he holds your hand tighter, feeling the gold of your wedding band.

“See you two in there, yeah?”

You wave at Erwin with your free hand as he opens the door. “You will.”

Erwin steps into the room, but before the door can fully close, Hange’s foot slides in to stop it.

They open it a tiny bit further, peeking through the crack. “All good back here?”

Levi nods.

“Well, you’ll know when to come in, so just listen through the door, okay?”

“Yes, we know,” Levi barks back. “Go already. Do that stupid fucking dance you guys prepared.”

“We will!”

Erwin’s head pops in above Hange, and he puts his hand on their shoulder. “Let’s go, people are staring.”

“Wait, wait, let me-“

Erwin gently pushes them away from the door, and he smiles at you and Levi before pushing it shut. “Congratulations, you two.”

And suddenly, you and Levi are snapped back to quiet.

You start leaning in to hear the sound from behind the door, but Levi stops you, tugging you back and bringing his free hand up to cradle your face.

“Wait,” he asks. “They won’t need us for a while. Stay here, with me.”

You nod, leaning into his touch and closing your eyes. “Okay, I will.”

He moves in closer to you, his breath hot against your lips as they slot themselves together. He moves slowly, tenderly lacing his fingers into your hair as you kiss him back. You bring your free hand up to feel his ring, and he chuckles lightly before squeezing your left hand.

Lost in the haze, you and him lose your balance and find yourselves kissing against the door. You can faintly hear Hange talking from through the wood, but, really, all you care about as the hushed I love you’s that pass through Levi’s lips in the brief moments that he has to pull away for air.

Needless to say, even though you and Levi miss the cue to come in, the room is more than happy to welcome the two of you into the reception hall when they see the faint traces of red on Levi’s lips.

♡

After your first official entrance as husband and wife and Levi thanks everyone for coming, food gets passed around fairly quickly, and as dinner’s being eaten, various members of the wedding party go and give their speeches to serve as entertainment before other wedding traditions.

Moblit and Miche aren’t much for public speaking so you and Levi already knew they weren’t giving speeches, but their congratulations on their way to the bathroom right before the speeches was enough to tell Levi that they’re truly happy for him and for you.

But anyway, there’s a projector at the stage connected to a computer towards the back of the room, so as the speeches go, photos get circulated of you, Levi, whoever’s speaking, or any combination of those people.

When you and Levi checked out the venue, they mentioned that the projector would cost extra to use, but for whatever reason, Hange ended up taking on that entire bill themselves.

It’s a nice touch, regardless, and Levi already threatened violence if Hange got a wedding gift after paying for the venue. Erwin too, having already organized all the transportation and vacation and honeymoon shit.

But back to the matter at hand, you and Levi get cozy in your seats as you wait for the microphones to get set up and the projector going.

Erwin steps up to speak first, probably because he’s the only one willing to even get up from the table at that point in the dinner, and he gives a genuinely heartfelt speech about having seen both you and Levi grow as individuals and as a couple in the last several years.

He tells stories of Levi in college, how he used to be much pricklier and more difficult when he was younger. Even though Levi’s a bit embarrassed at reminders of how he’d act, his heart warms with the sentiment that Erwin even bothered to recall such irrelevant details from years ago.

Levi hears you take a sharp breath when Erwin starts talking about you, how you met as the new employees at your firm, but after a bit of unnecessary legal talk, he does get to actually talking about how you’ve been a great friend and an even greater partner to Levi.

But all in all, Erwin gives a good, long speech, and that opens the door for Petra to come on stage.

Her speech is a lot more focused on you, seeing as Levi isn’t particularly close to her, and even though Levi’s called out for not asking you out sooner than he did, you’re absolutely dragged through the mud as Petra recounts days in the office where you’d pace the breakroom to try and get rid of your feelings.

Levi checks in on at you frequently to make sure that you’re okay with her speech, but going by the smile on your face and the boisterous laughter that escapes your lips, you’re more than happy to accept her well-intended teasing.

Petra also slides in that Levi came to her for help choosing your engagement ring (which Levi fucking swore her to secrecy for, thinking that you’d find the jewelry less special if he needed help to choose it), but before he can apologize to you, you kiss him and thank him for his sentimentality with a smile.

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin all take turns reciting parts of their shared speech, carefully written to sound like a legal document, and even though most people in the reception hall are confused as fuck (Levi included), you and your other coworkers are practically rolling on the floor with laughter, and that’s more than enough for Levi to be thankful that those brats have taken such good care of you at work.

They make.. interesting use of the projector, though. Instead of pictures of themselves or you or Levi, they circulate pictures of random stock images just barely related to the topic at hand.

At least Hange seems to enjoy them.

Furlan and Isabel go after the trio of troublemakers, but honestly, all he can hear is your laughter as they absolutely rip into him and roast him for being so painfully lovestruck and stupid.

Hearing Isabel talk about that time she accidentally threw away his paper stars is painful in its own right, but hearing her talk about that note she found in his wallet? Dear fucking lord.

Furlan’s a bit nicer, only talking in brief notes about how Levi would ask him for help reading labels of tea boxes or containers of hair gel, but when he gets to talking about how much Levi agonized over how to propose to you, Levi lights up red.

He isn’t offended or off-put in the slightest—he knew this was going to happen long before he even asked them to give a speech in the first place—but it just… is a lot.

You giggle as you rub his back to offer him comfort, though, so maybe he’ll have to thank his old housemates for getting him so distraught.

Then, as Isabel and Furlan finish up and the microphone gets handed to Hange, Levi cringes as he watches them haphazardly adjusts the mic stand. “Why the fuck is Four Eyes giving a speech at our wedding again?”

You giggle next to him, leaning your head on his shoulder. When he looks over at you to see your happy, dazed smile, he can’t be annoyed anymore.

God, he’ll never get tired of seeing you so happy.

“Come on, we never would’ve met if it weren’t for them. I was too shy to approach you, you were too shy to approach me.”

He supposes that he can’t quite argue with that.

As much as Hange’s meddling has been a hinderance to his otherwise boring and unassuming life, he can’t deny that they did play a rather… interesting role in getting the two of you together.

Though, the notion that you and him felt the exact same way about each other before you even introduced yourselves makes Levi want to believe that soulmates are real.

He knows that they aren’t, but he doesn’t care.

He’ll believe in fate, if only to let himself be sure that even if it weren’t for Hange, you and him still would’ve met somehow and fallen in love just as steadily.

“Erwin looked over their speech, right?”

You look over to meet his gaze and nod. “He said he liked it, yeah.”

“Okay!” Hange cheers, their microphone finally at the right height. They clear their throat before continuing. “So, as you know, my name’s Hange, and I’m the Best Friend of the wedding party! Let’s give our newlyweds another round of applause!”

The room erupts into cheers, and even though Levi would ordinarily be embarrassed of the attention, he’s only afforded the ability to smile at yet another reminder that you and him are celebrating your marriage in front of loved ones.

Once the applause dies down, Hange continues. “Anyway, I didn’t actually prepare a speech.”

That’s fucking weird. What the fuck did Erwin look over then?

“Get off the stage!” Furlan boos.

Levi appreciates Furlan’s call for action, but he knows damn fucking well that Hange is not going to get off that stage.

There’s a chorus of boos from the wedding party’s table, which is then followed by the laughter of everyone else in attendance.

Hange laughs and good-naturedly waves off Furlan. “Calm down, sir, or I’ll have to escort you off the premises. But yes! I do not have a speech! Instead,” they gesture to Eren, who’s now getting up from his seat and running over to the computer connected to the projector, “I have a video!”

You and Levi look at each other with concern, but you both silently agree to just let Hange do their thing.

Levi would definitely rather not have Hange embarrass themselves (or him, for that matter), but how bad could it be?

Actually, Levi doesn’t want to answer that, but whatever.

He trusts Hange not to fuck up the wedding with this stunt they’re pulling. In spite of all the shit they’ve done to piss him off in the past, they’re not fucking evil, and it’d be fucking evil to ruin a wedding. They’ve done a good job emceeing, and he’s already survived the brunt of Isabel and Furlan’s speech.

Besides, Erwin said he liked it. The man may have shit taste, but he’s apparently good at public speaking.

The projector screen lights up with white before finally showing… oh dear fucking lord.

The guests all burst into either laughter or confused commotion, and Levi can hear you start giggling into your hand, not wanting to add too much to the noise.

Levi wants to find it funny, he really does, but is Hange fucking serious?

Well, they definitely are because this is so painfully them, but really?

Hange clears their throat again into the mic once the noise has passed. “If you’ve been living under a rock for the last ten years and don’t know what the best game of all time is, you’re really missing out, but,” they move out of the way of the center stage to let people see the text-box overlayed on the video, “yeah! And Levi, don’t worry! This wasn’t actually posted, I just made it in Photoshop!

“But let’s pretend it’s real anyway! Hit it, Yeager!”

The video starts playing, and the punk ass character starts running, collecting gold coins as he jumps onto subway carts and over hurdles.

Am I the asshole for setting up my best friends and making them get married?

The painfully generic text-to-speech voice cuts through the entire room, and everyone just about loses it laughing. Eren has to pause the video because it’s clear that nobody’s in their right mind to hear the audio, but he ends up closing the video on accident in his own fit of giggles.

You turn your face inwards towards Levi’s shoulder, and he can practically feel the outline of your smile on the fabric of his suit.

God, why the fuck is this happening to him right now? What did he do to deserve this?

Hange shushes everyone in the room so that the video’s audio can be heard as Eren reaches to push play again.

The audio starts back at the beginning.

Am I the asshole for setting up my best friends and making them get married? Okay, so the title might be a bit weird, but hear me out. So, like the title of this post says: I (NB31) got my two best friends (F30 and M32) together. Star (F30) and I have been best friends since she moved into my apartment complex when she started law school 8 years ago. I saw her trying to push her couch up the stairs to her unit, and we hit it off from there! When I still lived in the building, she would always bake me treats and let me come over to rant about anything and everything. We didn’t ever really go out aside from eating, but we spent a lot of time at each other’s places since we lived 2 doors apart. I eventually moved in with my partner, but that isn’t relevant here. But, in conclusion! She is my best friend, and I love her to bits. She’s super sweet, and I trust her with my life. Sometimes I feel bad that she has to put up with me so much, but hey! My scheming is pretty useful sometimes!

Levi rolls his eyes.

Again, he really can’t argue with that when Hange’s to thank for you and him meeting, but in the same vein, he’s sure that fate would’ve run its course at some point and let him fall in love with you just as slowly and meaningfully.

Okay, back on track. Now, I also have another friend group from university that I keep in close contact with as an adult, and in this group is Shorty (M32). He’s an… interesting person to say the least. Always has a stick up his ass, super grumpy, perpetually frowning. He’s an awesome guy though, don’t get me wrong, just really… himself.

Levi flips off Hange, and even though you pull his hand down to save face in front of the guests, he knows you aren’t mad because you give the back of his hand a kiss before looking back at the projector.

He looks down at the kiss mark you leave with a faint smile.

I always thought that Star and Shorty would be good friends (and an even better couple), even though they’re probably as far as you can get in terms of personality, but neither of them were really interested in meeting the other. WHICH WAS PERFECTLY FINE!!! I respect their boundaries, but I still did my best to talk about them to each other whenever I could (without names, since I like using nicknames anyway!)

“I wonder why they aren’t using Sugar,” you muse.

If Levi had to guess, it’s because Erwin probably pointed out how not-safe-for-work it’d be to call the bride “Sugar” at her own wedding.

He does wish Hange changed “Shorty” to something else, but you seem happy to hear the old nickname come up again, so he’ll let the lunatic on stage say it, if only to see you smile just a tiny bit brighter than you already have been.

Three years ago, I came over to make cookies with Star, and she looked super red. Like, I’m talking RED. I asked why (because I’m just a great friend like that), and after a bit of prodding, she told me she saw her crush on her way home from work.

“Just to be clear, I didn’t have a crush on you back then.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Levi rolls his eyes before bringing up your hand to his lips to kiss the glittering light on your wedding ring. “Of course you didn’t.”

Now, OBVIOUSLY, as her best friend, I had to know who it was, and she ended up describing someone exactly like Shorty. She also said she that she was too shy to talk to him and didn’t know his name, but that she always sees him on the Friday ride home on bus 143 (cute, right?!). We all lived in the same city and Shorty happened to also take the 143 line to-and-from work, so I was more than 1000% sure that it was him that she was talking about!

Hange signals for Eren to stop the video. It does, and Hange clears their throat into the microphone again. “Remember, guys! This isn’t real! I made it in Photoshop, I didn’t dox anyone!” The video continues.

So, I did the most logical thing a person could do and organized for us all to have dinner together! I invited another person from my and Shorty’s friend group to make it a bit less awkward (M32, let’s call him Eyebrows), but that ended up working out perfectly because he ended up being Star’s boss (it was still awkward, but that’s okay!).

Hange has Eren pause the video again. “Eyebrows is Erwin, over there!” They shout, pointing to him at the wedding party table. He gets up and waves to the rest of the room, and when he’s sat back down, the video starts up again.

But yeah, it turned out that it was Shorty that Star had a crush on, and from there, I worked my magic.

Levi scoffs. “Magic? Please, they’re more of a clown than a magician.”

You giggle before shaking your head. “Sounds about right.”

From that point on, if I hung out with Shorty, I’d bring Star along with me and make them sit together whenever I could. They’re both too awkward to change seats, so it was PERFECT. She actually makes little paper stars wherever she goes (which is why I’m calling her Star), and Shorty’s housemate at the time actually told me that he kept the stars in this old canister of tea that Star gave him when they first met. So actually, I knew he was just as interested in her as she was in him!! (Even though both of them denied it for like… 7 months).

As much teasing as Levi’s endured for his pining, he’s grateful to have been able to fall in love as slowly and awkwardly as he did.

He’d wait lifetimes for a love like this.

Still, he’s going to hunt down Isabel for telling Hange that bit of information.

Eyebrows was in on everything too. He brought Shorty to their office the day after we got them introduced to each other, and they bonded over tea or something boring like that. Eyebrows actually schemed ON HIS OWN to have them go on a date together for Valentine’s Day that year by setting ME up with my now-partner. We’re a great couple, actually. Shoutout Moblit!

Miche whistles, which brings the laughter out of the rest of the room.

But anyway! Back to the title of this post! As much good as I did in getting them together, I also… kinda fucked up.

Looking over to where Hange stood off to the side, Levi raised a brow.

The reason why Star had to take the bus in the first place was because Eyebrows had to give away her parking spot to someone else (I don’t really know the logistics, you can bother him about it yourself later), and sometime in February, he called me to let me know that he’d gotten another spot back for her already. I really don’t know what I was thinking, but I told him not to tell her so that she’d still be able to take the bus with Shorty. I was, like, “let her keep taking the bus with Shorty until she’s realized how she feels!”

“What the fuck?”

You sound more confused than upset, which is a relief to Levi, but what the fuck?

Eyebrows wasn’t quite on board with it, but after a bit more time, I think he got more into it than I did. He paid for her bus fare for months because their company wasn’t going to cover the cost of her transportation when there was a parking spot for her at that point, and he’d always cover his tracks to make sure that nobody ever found out.

“Thank god Nile couldn’t come,” Levi overhears Mikasa say.

Before you kill us, Eyebrows would constantly check in with Star to make sure that she actually enjoyed taking the bus, and she did. Even now, years later, she talks about how much she enjoyed taking it with Shorty. That isn’t really the issue here. So, why do I think I’m the asshole?

Levi can list a million reasons, but sure, let’s hear it.

Well, neither of us really had the foresight to realize that it would just make it harder for them to stop taking the bus when that time came. Eyebrows suggested that he give her the parking spot at the end of spring, and it worked out that around that time, I overheard one of my neighbors (and Shorty’s coworker) talking about how they basically wouldn’t have to come into the office (which meant Shorty wouldn’t be taking the bus anymore either). We thought it was absolutely genius, but I was very much proven wrong when I came over later that week and saw Star crying. I knew I fucked up at that point, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to center her sadness around me and my decisions. We did spend the night talking about how she felt about it, and as much as she was upset that she wouldn’t be taking the bus anymore, she was glad to have finally been able to realize her feelings about her relationship with Shorty. I didn’t get to hear from Shorty, but his housemates told me that he was really upset about not taking the bus anymore too. That wasn’t really my doing at all, but it still made me feel icky about it. It all worked out in the end because they did get together almost immediately after this (and because we are all obviously at this beautiful wedding), but I don’t know. Even if it did help them get together, I still feel bad that I put my friends through that. When they approached me about having me give a speech, I just remembered all of this happening, and I didn’t think I could talk about their relationship without bringing this up. Eyebrows told me that he thought I didn’t do anything wrong, but on my mama I don’t know. I don’t care if it was legal or not, please do not come at me talking about how “it’s illegal to withhold that sort of information” or “you could go to jail for admitting this.” Regardless, I’m still probably an idiot for confessing to this in front of so many people, but I really do have to know. Am I the asshole?

The video ends there, and Levi watches as Eren clicks back to the video gallery. There’s a total of three videos with the fucking Subway Surfers preview, so Levi assumes that depending on his and your answers, there’s a different video prepared.

The rest of the room is dead silent, waiting for the two of you to give an answer.

Levi earnestly doesn’t think his opinion matters right now because he isn’t the one who had their commuting situation manipulated for the benefit of their love life, so he waits for you to speak up.

He’s still going to kill Hange and Erwin after this, but let’s pretend that isn’t relevant right now.

You look back and forth between Levi, Erwin, Hange, and the projector, and Hange looks like they’re going to cry if they have to wait any longer for a response.

Well, not really, but they look uncharacteristically nervous, and that’s about as much vulnerability as anyone’s going to get out of them when they’re still trying to keep the mood light.

And as much as he hates to admit it, he doesn’t like seeing one of his best friends so anxious.

It doesn’t fit them, and as much as they put up their comedic front, Levi knows that Hange did really want the best for you and him, and that they really are sorry.

Maybe you’ve softened him too much in that regard, to the point that he’s sympathetic to something as stupid as this.

The room’s silence is only made louder by the sound of you getting up from your chair, then walking up the steps of the stage platform, then moving to stand right in front of Hange.

Levi watches as you ball your hands into fists, and he’s worried for a second that you’re going to actually fucking punch Hange in the face.

It seems like Hange is too because they shut their eyes tight and tense their muscles, preparing for the impact, but in a flash, your arms are around them in a hug.

Hange’s jaw drops completely open, and their hands are awkwardly stuck at their sides. The microphone on the stand picks up what’s being said.

“You’re not mad at me?”

You laugh. “Why would I be mad?”

“W-well, you were just so sad when you got your spot back! And I didn’t tell you about this until now!”

You roll your eyes. “Hange, it’s been, like, almost three years since this all happened. And I know you were looking out for me, it’s okay. I probably wouldn’t even be getting married right now if you didn’t do that for me.”

“But it was mean! You were really sad!” They wail, finally moving to wrap their arms around you. “I’m really sorry! I wish I told you before it all spun out of control! Please don’t blame Erwin, it was all me!”

While Levi can’t comprehend any reason why Hange would ever say this all out loud when they fully believed they were in the wrong (with a fucking Subway Surfers text-to-speech video, no less), seeing them be so apologetic and earnest about this reminds Levi of why he’s been friends with them for so long.

Even if their shenanigans land them in trouble or annoy him sometimes, they’re never ill-intentioned. They wholeheartedly care about everyone, usually to a fault, and right now, all he sees when he looks at them is a person with a good heart.

Don’t get it twisted, though.

Levi still thinks Hange is absolutely fucking crazy.

Planning that first dinner with you, him, themselves, and Erwin was weird, but it wasn’t anywhere near being too far gone.

Making him sit next to you in hopes that you’d just somehow fall in love with each other was definitely uncalled for, too, but he’d be a liar to say that didn’t work out well for him.

Orchestrating weekly chance meetings between two people on public transit of all places, though.

Absolutely fucking crazy.

Confessing to something like this in front of so many people, too? Good grief.

But, still.

As he watches you laugh as you wipe away their tears with their suit’s pocket square and they sniffle and ask more questions to check in on you, he thinks that he might even thank Hange for being so fucking insistent on playing matchmaker for the two of you.

Once Hange’s fully in the clear to not break down a second time, you get off the stage and back to your seat, and you put your head on Levi’s shoulder again.

“You okay?” He asks, reaching over to brush the hair out of your eyes.

You nod. “Yeah.”

Sniffling one last time, Hange laughs as they go back to their mic. “Well, that was awkward! Anyway, Yaeger, play the one that isn’t depressing!”

Eren makes a big show of pushing play, and another Subway Surfers clip starts up again with a different set of text.

UPDATE: Am I the asshole for setting up my best friends and making them get married? This has, like, a 3% chance of being played, but if it does, hooray! I’m not the asshole! >:D

The text-to-speech reads the emoticon as “greater than, colon, D,” which gets a laugh out of internet-savvy guests.

On a real note, I love you guys so much, and I couldn’t be any happier for the two of you! There’s no words to describe how stupid you guys look when you’re together, and I mean that in the best way possible!

Now it’s your turn to flip them off, and Levi just chuckles to himself before doing the same.

You both were always phenomenal people, but your relationship really did strengthen you individually in the best ways, too. Shorty, you’re a lot nicer to me than you were before! You’re also a lot more relaxed, which is great for everyone else too because you can be kinda scary sometimes. And Star? Well, you were always perfect, but being with Shorty has made you a lot happier, and that’s really awesome! The two of you aren’t such workaholics anymore either. Yippee! You’re genuinely the most wholesome couple I’ve ever seen (INCLUDING FICTIONAL BTW), and I know that the love between the two of you is something special. I’d tell Shorty not to fuck it up, but I don’t think he could even if he tried. He loves you more than I could ever even begin to fathom. Ok, anyway, onto the fun stuff! I KNOW you told me that I wasn’t allowed to get you a wedding gift because of how much I’ve done for you already, but when have I ever listened to you? Never. But also, consider this an apology for the whole “keeping your parking space from you” thing. SO!! Because I’m an actual genius, I hired one of those live wedding painters for you guys! I saw some of his work at this showcase (can’t remember when tbh), and I thought it’d be cool to commission him since he actually has painted you guys before! I asked him to bring a print of that, too, so you can get that later when you’re free! Jean! Raise your hand!

Levi cranes his head to look around the reception hall, and at the very back of the room, there’s a man with an easel in front of him, hand raised in the air.

How the fuck did Levi not see him earlier?

But anyway! Sorry I didn’t prepare an actual speech, but I hope you guys liked this anyway! And I’m sorry you had to find out about this through a fake Subway Surfers text-to-speech video, but since this is the video that’s playing, our friendship is still intact and we’re all good to go! Thank you for letting me emcee your wedding reception too, on top of being the Best Friend of Honor (or whatever name I end up choosing for myself for the party, I haven't decided yet)! I probably shouldn’t have been trusted, but I promise I’ve been trying my best! Really, I’m so lucky to have such sweet friends. You included, Shorty. And one last thing. Star… I’M STILL SO SO SO SORRY I PROMISE I’LL MAKE IT UP TO YOU AFTER YOU COME BACK FROM YOUR HONEYMOON AND WE’LL GOSSIP ABOUT PEOPLE FROM WORK TOGETHER AND MAKE COOKIES OR SOMETHING I SWEAR I’LL FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS Anyway, that’s it from me! I’m probably the last speech of the evening, so the cake will be out soon (SHOUTOUT TO MY HOMEGIRL SASHA!!! I LOVE YOU) and y’all can do whatever you want! Make sure you congratulate the happy couple before you leave today, they really do deserve it!

The video ends and everyone claps, well entertained by all the speeches of the last hour or so, and Hange rushes off the stage over to where you and Levi are sat at the Sweetheart Table.

“So, Shorty, what’d you think?”

Right. Hange probably thinks Levi is gonna rip their head off, if their slightly off-tune tone of voice is anything to go by.

“It was…” Levi looks over at you, then at Hange, then at Erwin, then at the fucker at the computer, “fine.”

Hange groans. “You’re not gonna tell me more?”

“What more do you want from me?”

“I obviously want your completely unfiltered and honest opinion of me and my speech!”

Levi rolls his eyes. “Well, you’re not going to get it.”

Hange sarcastically sobs, putting their head in their hands. “You’re such a bully! I hate you! You’re the meanest person in the universe!”

You laugh, the sound reverberating against his shoulder. “Come on, you gotta at least admit they did a good job editing the video.”

“Fine,” he sighs. “Let’s step outside, though.”

Hange lifts their head up out of their hands faster than Levi can comprehend. “Wait, what?” They look between you and Levi with a nervous smile. “He’s not going to murder me, is me?”

“Who knows?” You straighten up off Levi’s shoulder and yawn, stretching up your arms with a tired smile. “I’m gonna go help Sasha get the cake inside, I’ll be back soon.”

“Have fun, love.”

Levi gets up from his seat, gives you a kiss on the cheek, and then pulls Hange by the back of their ponytail to drag them out into the hallway.

“Wait, wait, don’t let him take me! Astraea, please, I was gonna make those cookies with you! I can’t die yet! Please! Anyone! Help! Help me!”

The guests in attendance pay little attention to the commotion, all of them more occupied with other things, but that just makes it easier for Levi to get them somewhere that other people can’t see them.

Levi doesn't say anything as he waits for them to finish with their painfully complicated spiel about life and friendship and love. They sure do have a lot to say for someone who already talks so much.

When they finish, their face now red and flushed in embarrassment, they wait for Levi to give a response of his own.

And so, he does the unthinkable.

For the first time in their many, many years of friendship, Levi hugs Hange.

“Thank you.”

Hange’s heart catches in their throat, and before Levi can pull away safely, they wrap their arms around him and squeeze him like he’s a lemon.

“Aw, you’re welcome!”

And as Hange gets going on another rant about whatever else they want to talk about, Levi listens.

He listens as Hange talks about how much they’ve seen him grow in the last couple of years.

He listens as Hange talks about how much they love your baking, and that Levi will have to just have to be okay with them coming over all the time for cookies and pies and tarts and everything else sweet.

He listens as Hange talks about how happy they are to see Levi and you so in love.

They eventually let go of him to rush back into the reception hall when the cake gets wheeled into the room, but Levi stays stuck in his spot for a few seconds to ground himself before he goes back in.

Fuck.

Now he has this exact conversation again with Erwin. That sleazy fucker was in on this too.

♡

“Alright, everyone! Let’s get ready to send-off the bride and groom!” Hange announces, ushering everyone to get up and stand along the hallway. People take their time, though, either drunk from the open bar or too tired to make a run for it.

As all the guests start heading outside to the hallway to line the path that you’ll take to get out to the car awaiting you, you and Levi wait until there’s less movement around the room before getting up. You have your head propped up on your hand, and Levi’s currently slumped forward, resting his head and arms on the table as he looks at you.

As you reach over to push back his hair so you can see his eyes, you hear the sound of someone walking up from behind you. Levi looks back the two of you first, and he slowly straightens up in his seat.

“Hey, you two! We just wanted to stop by and congratulate you again!”

Your parents move in closer to hug you, then they go to hug Levi. He’s forthcoming with his affection, as shy as he is.

It’s strange to think that he’s been able to warm up so much to your parents, but you can tell that he’s always wanted to have a good relationship with them, and you’re glad that your parents are just as proud to have gained him as a son. Your brother likes him too, perhaps a bit too much, but he’s out-of-his-mind wasted right now, so he’s probably too busy throwing up in the bathroom to come talk to you and Levi right now.

“Thank you for coming,” Levi tells them, your dad giving him a firm pat on the back before pulling away.

“Oh, not at all! We’re happy to be here!”

“You know, we never thought we’d be able our girl get married,” your dad teases. “Levi’s a real miracle worker, isn’t he?”

You groan and go to kick his shin. “You can’t just say that!”

Your mom laughs and waves you off. “He’s not wrong, dear. You never wanted to even date before you met Levi.”

You look over at him, silently pleading for back up, but he just chuckles with them and shakes his head as he reaches to hold your hand.

You take it begrudgingly, and you lace your fingers with his to feel his comfort.

“We’re just happy that our girl’s been able to fall in love with someone so wonderful. We really love you, Levi.”

The tips of Levi’s ears go red, but his heart doesn’t race any faster than it usually does. “I promise, I’ll take good care of her.”

“Oh, we’re not worried about that,” your mom says with a smile. “We know you will.”

Because your parents are the only ones left missing in the line-up outside, Hange pops in through the door.

“Take your time, but the driver’s here now!”

“We’ll be there soon!” Your father shouts back. He looks back to Levi and puts a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t mess this up, son.”

“I won’t.”

Your mom pinches your dad’s ear, clicking her tongue. “Let’s get going.” Through his playful protests of pain, you mom leans in to give you another hug and a smile before she goes. “He looks at you like you’re the sun. Don’t lose him, okay?”

You let go Levi’s hand to return the hug, and you nod happily. “I won’t, mom.” Once they make it to the hallway and step out of sight, you reach for Levi’s hand again. “Ready to go?”

He shakes his head, taking your hand and pulling you into a gentle hug. He buries himself into your hair, taking in slow breaths. “Stay here."

You laugh, swaying back and forth in the hug as you smile. "You know we can't."

"I don't care."

You roll your eyes before slowly sliding out of his grasp, only to lean in again to kiss him before tugging him out to the door.

He sighs, but he does give your hand a squeeze before going along with you. The two of you walk slowly, and because there's so much quiet, you ask him for the millionth time.

"Why do you like holding my left hand so much?"

He stops in his tracks, and you look back at him to see his face flushed red as he rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. "Promise you won't make fun of me?"

You giggle, nodding your head just like you do every time he asks. "I won't."

He bites at the inside of his cheek, but, for the first time ever, he takes a deep breath before looking away and rubbing his thumb over yours. "I always sat on your left."

You blink. "What?"

Levi looks back at you, and he looks away again. "On the bus. I always sat on your left, and I like holding your left hand because it feels like I'm there again."

And, just like that, your lips are back on his, and you kiss him through his nerves, laughing when he stutters out apologies for having that to himself for so long.

You're seemingly stuck there forever, underneath the light of the crystal chandeliers, wearing a wedding dress, kissing your husband with a love that's beyond anything you could ever dream of.

When you finally reach the hallway, you're overwhelmed again as everyone cheers and waves flowers in the air. There's already some stray petals on the floor from more harsh handlings of flowers, but for the most part, all the flowers are beautifully healthy and lush, with lots of vibrant blurs of color flashing above the heads of your loved ones. Drops of water from the stems are being spilt on the floor, but it seems to just add a bit more heart to the whole ordeal to know that those flowers were well-loved.

You look over to Levi, and you feel like your eyes betray you when you see that his eyes are glassy as they scan the crowd. You immediately go to hug him again, letting him hide in the crook of your neck, and he holds on tight as he sniffles. He peeks through your hair to still see the flowers and the people moving to form a more structured tunnel, though, and that has him still weeping from the heart.

Hange whacks both you and Levi with their rose, whining as they try to get you both to walk out. "Come on, losers! The driver's been waiting forever!"

Levi groans, pulling away from your embrace and using the back of his hand to finish blotting his eyes dry. "It's been maybe five minutes, calm the fuck down."

"Oh, oh!" They stop you, digging through their pockets before pulling out a small envelope. "Take this with you!"

Levi takes it from them, and he shakes it a few times to try and hear what's inside. When he can't figure it out, he hands it to you to try the same.

Earnestly, you have no idea what could be inside, but you're sure that it's going to be something just as stupid as them orchestrating meetings between you and Levi on the same bus.

Erwin, who now holds the microphone where he's stood at the door leading to where he's arranged transportation, clears his throat to get everyone's attention. "Let's send-off our newlyweds well, alright! On the count of three!

"One!

"Two!

"Three!"

"Congratulations!" Everyone cheers, their flowers now raised even higher.

Hange nudges you and Levi forward with another hit of their flower, and just like that, you and Levi are holding hands and walking down and out of the hallway, flowers being thrown overhead. Each side of the walkway is careful to throw flowers above you, which ends up beautifully as they seemingly form an arc above the two of you as you pass underneath them. You and Levi are too busy waving goodbye to everyone to look at each other, but your hands are still securely linked, feeling a comfortable warmth that's both familiar and unfamiliar.

Erwin opens the door for you once you reach it, and...

Quite honestly, you and Levi are speechless when you see what's there in the street waiting for you.

Erwin laughs, bringing up his hand to his face as his shoulders shake in joy at your reactions.

Levi lets go of your hand to reach into his pocket for the envelope Hange gave him before the send-off, and you look at his hands expectantly as they work to undo the seal.

From the envelope, Levi pulls out two bus fare cards.

Suddenly brought back to reality, you scream out in joy as you tug Levi by the hand over to the 143 bus, uncaring of whether or not you'll fall on the way down the stairs. Levi does his best to yell out a "thank you" to Erwin as he steadies you and himself, but you can feel the racing of his heart cut through the cold night air as you make the run towards the bus.

The doors open, and you can't stop the tears of happiness that spill out when you take a fare card from Levi and scan it on the machine. You thank the driver, just as you always did back then, and you wait for Levi to clumsily run his card along the scanner before taking his hand again and skipping over to where the two of you used to sit. Yours and his suitcases for the honeymoon are neatly secured even further in the back, and you take it that this was a joint effort between Hange and Erwin to get the bus to take the two of you to the airport.

When you reach your seats, you notice a large manila envelope on Levi's, and you watch as Levi picks it up to read the writing that's on the front. You both sit down to do just that.

My dear friends, Congratulations on your marriage! May the two of you continue to live your lives alongside one another, just as in love as you always have been. Thank you for choosing to include me in your wedding party, as well as your earlier celebration at the courthouse. However, just like Hange, I do not care that the two of you instructed me to not get you a wedding gift. Part of that is because I do still feel quite bad about how I went about setting you up, as Hange mentioned in their… for lack of a better word, “speech,” but I do sincerely wish to give you something to commemorate your union. Don't worry, it's not anything expensive. I'm sure the two of you could buy anything your hearts desire without any of my help. Instead, inside this envelope is a collection of photos I’m sure you’ll both enjoy. Don’t worry, these pictures were all legally obtained through city transportation CCTV footage. You’d be surprised how much of that is available in public database! Again, congratulations! We’re all very happy for you both. Have a wonderful honeymoon! E. Smith

You look at Levi, and he looks about just as confused as you do.

Wordlessly, Levi tugs at the seal and sticks his hand inside the envelope, and he pulls out a heavy stack of face-down papers. Levi puts the envelope down on the seat to his left, and he sniffles as he goes to turn over the sheets of paper.

And as the bus starts moving before you and Levi can compose yourselves, photos of you and Levi from those many moons ago, on this very bus, go flying. You manage to catch one before it gets too far away, and you hold it between you and Levi so that you can look at it together.

The picture is in black-and-white, far too blurry, and obviously outdated, but there's enough text at the top left corner of the picture to tell you everything that you need to know: 09-16-22 - Fri - 15:02.

You can just barely make out Levi's figure on one side, and yours on the other, looking over at him, and you lose your grip on the sheet as you remember what this exact day was: the day you first met.

You and Levi immediately get up and start scrambling to pick up the rest of the papers, uncaring of the bumps in the road that knock you back and forth, and when you've gathered them all up again, Levi helps you up as he taps the papers on his lap to make them easier to hold.

You put your head on Levi's shoulder as he traces your silhouette in that first image. You let the tears fall freely as you watch him recount these times from back then, way before either of you even dared look at each other.

Sniffling and smiling, you weakly reach out to point at him in the photo. "Look, you never even looked at me back then."

He playfully steps on your toes, eliciting a yelp from you.

"That isn't true. Look," Levi flips through some other sheets before pulling out one from the week immediately after: 09-23-22 - Fri - 15:05.

Sure enough, you can faintly see his head upturned to look at you from across the way.

You reach out again with a tired smile, this time giggling as you trace a heart over his face in the photo. Levi sniffles next to you, and he has to briefly pull the photos away to wipe away more tears.

As you and Levi sit and go through all of these photos, your hearts racing and battling themselves as you clumsily try and recall all the details of these encounters, you realize that you're both able to remember, in near perfect detail, every single exchange from these days.

He retells of times you'd come over with desserts, and you of time he'd come and cook you meals to make sure you were eating well.

He remembers when you first started bumping your shoulder against his, and you remember when he first started reciprocating the gesture.

He can name every single blend of tea you've ever gotten him, just as you can recall the exact same for yourself.

You and him get lost long into the night talking about all of it, folding paper stars from the envelope and making wishes for a future together.

In the midst of it, you realize that promises of a forever where you and him never stop paying each other back for asinine things have already long since been fulfilled, all of these little things having always been the foundation for your relationship and the love that you share.

You can't quite put a name to it, really: the magic of having such a trivial dream come true.

There's no way to truly describe something both so purely sentimental and unimportant.

There aren't enough words to even try to explain what it is that's allowed you to fall in love so beautifully.

But...

As you look at that beautiful stranger from bus 143, weeping alongside him as you both recount all the ways you've learnt to love each other with the mundane, unassuming, meaningless nothings of life, you suppose you'd call it...

the romance of reimbursements.

#attack on titan #levi ackerman x reader #levi x reader #tao.levi #levi aot #levi ackerman #the romance of reimbursements #levi #fanfiction

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