rue/trau

They won't make good spouses, of that he's aware of. They won't make a family too, at least, not in the traditional sense. But at the precipice of the end, with sorrow and woe closing in on them, he wants Hange to become his. He wants to be hers, forever or for as long as this cruel world will allow them.

Rosr can too fall, after all. And if it does, they'll be doomed, and scouts will be amongst those who perish first. He can lose Hange tomorrow, hell, he can lose her tonight; no one knows where those Titans that ruined Maria went. What if they decide to come back? They could already be close to them, just outside the castle where scouts have been leading refugees to.

Their lives are frighteningly fickle, and if he's destined to perish in near future - even if he's strongest, he's still just a man - he wants to do so knowing that his heart belongs to someone else. That even if it will be devoted, it will live on for as long as his love is around.

And there is no one he trusts with his heart more than Hange Zoe.

She is on the floor, in the midst of dozens of refugees, curled against his side, snoring softly into his chest, and as he watches her, Levi tries to imagine a different life, where he's a simple man, a civilian, not a soldier; he could be a farmer, a blacksmith, or - a teamaker. And Hange could be a teacher or a scholar, adored by all of their neighbors. In a life so peaceful as the one he imagines, it'd be so easy to fall in love. A wedding would be a happy occasion, not a short reprieve from a nightmare.

But that is not his life. He was not made for it. He cannot sit idly while others suffer. And Hange, his brave, brilliant Hange is very much the same.

Their hearts are alike, and despite their differences, Levi likes to think that they've been made for one another.

And even if the rest of the world would never know, he wants them to have their little moment, while both of them still can.

He pulls away from her embrace, his heart clenching as his side instantly freezes, cut off from her warmth. He wishes nothing more than to keep guard over her, but if he wants to do it right - and he wants, oh so much, Hange deserves nothing less - he has to leave, even if it pains him.

But if luck will be on his side tonight, and the man Levi seeks will be unbusy, he'll be back in no time, before Hange even notices his absent.

He tiptoes out of the room, maneuvering in between sleeping survivors, and goes to the stairs, heading to the second floor, the fourth door on the right. He knocks briefly on it, hoping that the man behind it still is awake.

He is - miraculously, sitting behind a desk and writing down something - new strategies, plans or lists of the perished - that Levi isn't really keen to know of. His shoulders are hunched, and a deep crease between eyebrows morphes his face, turns it more serious and so much older. He hopes that he didn't catch the other man at the wrong time, but then again - present times couldn't get any wronger.

"Just one day on the new job," Levi quips. "And you already look like shit."

Erwin chuckles, tired but genuine. At least, his sense of humor is still there, Levi thinks. "I thought about quitting three times already." He puts the quill down and looks up at Levi, giving him his full attention. "Did you come just to make fun of me?"

"No," he says, and now his treacherous nerves start to get the better of him. His hands turn clammy, heartbeat almost thunderingly loud, and Erwin is no father of Hange, he's only seven years older than her, but Hange's dad has been dead since she was but a mouthy brat, and somehow it all makes Levi feel like he's not humanity's strongest, but a petty criminal from the Underground, who came begging for a hand of the best girl in town. The next words he forces out, speaks them through gritted teeth, "I want to marry Hange."

"Oh." Erwin blinks a few times, then sighs, covering his face with a palm. "So you are asking for a resignation. I'd happily allow it but Levi, you have to understand-"

"No, no," Levi shakes his head. "You do not understand. I - we - do not quit. I'm pretty sure," a hoarse chuckle makes its way past his lips, as he sits down next to Erwin. "That four-eyes will never talk to me again, should I even offer her something like that. And I don't wish to quit myself, not when there are lives I can save. I just..." he looks down at his hands, and feels so stupid, thinking of something so personal, in times of such tragedy. "I just want to marry Hange. While, you know... we both are still here."

"Oh, I see. A good Commander wouldn't approve of it, maybe, but since it's my first day on the job," Erwin laughs, not as tense as he was when Levi had entered, "and you both are extraordinary soldiers and my dear friends, I give you my blessings. And my very best wishes."

"Thank you," Levi says, bowing his head slightly. His gratitude is as genuine as it is enormous - Erwin is a man of great virtue, a leader that Levi would follow to the hell itself, and one of the few friends that he has. He honestly wouldn't know what to do, if new Commander didn't agree to his request. "So you'll do it?"

"Do what?" Erwin asks, his brows rising.

Levi looks at him pointedly. "Marry us, of course."

"What..." Erwin whispers, more to himself, before his voice raises. "Levi, I don't think I have the power to do that. You should go to church, there is a nice one nearby..."

Levi almost laughs, as he imagines it all - a proper wedding, in a proper chapel, run by the cult of wallists, with an old, nice-looking priest who would probably get a heart attack when he sees the two of them. "Erwin, you can't be serious. Do you really think that four-eyes and I are the type to want a normal wedding? With flowers, long frilly dresses and expensive suits? The best I can get from four-eyes is for her to show up in a torn skirt and dirty jacket, with an even bigger mess on her head. Unless Berner takes care of it, I'm sure she'll forget about rings too, and wrap some grass blade around my finger. It'll be a farce from start to finish."

Erwin laughs too now, so hard that tears start welling in the corners of his eyes. He wipes them off, before saying, "There is certain romanticism, even in that. Sure you don't want that kind of wedding?"

Any kind of wedding, if it is with Hange, will be the biggest joy to him, but they might not have any time left, and Levi's afraid. For now, he'd settle for this. "Let's get back to it when we deal with this mess," he huffs. "Then four-eyes can stir up whatever mess her heart desires."

"Whatever you say," Erwin shrugs. "So what do we do next?"

"Get Nanaba, Berner and Zacharius. I'll go and wake up Hange. Then..."

"We'll be bawling our eyes out, watching two hearts uniting into one. Ah, how fast the kids grow..."

Levi flips Erwin off, but chuckles along with him. That's why he picked him, went to talk to him even before he went to Hange - Erwin is an asshole, but he's the right kind of an asshole. He can be trusted, even in the darkest of times.

"Thank you," Levi says again, and those words don't lose their meaning, even if they're repeated. "For everything."

"Mm," Erwin's already shifting through his papers, but a smile lingers on his face. "The best man of humanity's strongest... I'm honored you've picked me." Levi didn't, can Erwin even be both at the same time - the best man and the officiant? Then again, if anyone can, it's only Erwin, and Levi'd be the one honored to call Erwin Smith his best man. And he'd be even more honored - and joyful, and lovestruck, and downright happy - to be called Hange Zoe's husband. That title beats humanity's strongest by miles.

"I'll see you soon," he tells Erwin, and then moves out of his office, back to Hange's side.

He sits down next to her, cradles her hand between his, as he presses a kiss to her knuckles. Hange blinks sleep away, when he leans closer so that only she can hear him, his next words, along with his heart, meant only to her, "Hey, four-eyes. Want to get married?"

When Armin arrives, he's almost late; at least - compared to the others. Jean, Connie and Sasha are already waiting near the entrance to Historia's quarters, leaning against the concrete wall. Jean holds a cigarette in between his fingers, puffing it slowly. Armin doesn't approve - the smell is atrocious and it looks like Jean doesn't even enjoy the process, just indulges in the vice to keep up with an appearance of a cool guy, but Armin doesn't scold him either; Jean puts out the cigarette as soon as Armin is in his vicinity, and, in the end, it's his own life and health.

"So?" Armin nods at his friends; barely contains his excitement. "Is she here?"

"Has been since early morning, or so the guards tell me," Jean says.

Sasha claps her hands together, all but jumping with happiness. "Let's hurry then! Oh, I can't wait to see Hange-san! It's been so long."

Connie seems just as thrilled. "Do you think we'll see Captain Levi as well? I mean there are no barracks for us to clean so seeing him..."

"Will be a pleasure," Armin agrees, waits for Jean to throw the cigarette butt away, then lets his friends go inside the building first. "We need to go on the second floor. Fourth door on the left."

Sasha turns to gawk at him, now walking backwards. "They let Hange-san have her own office?"

Armin shrugs good-heartedly. "She used to be a Commander of Survey Corps. And, technically, she's the one who brought Marley and Paradise to work as one. That, at the very least, warrants a separate office."

"I'm actually surprised she got out of it," Connie chuckles. "I always thought that our Hange-san will quit working only in case of death."

"She still works, I heard," Sasha scratches her chin. "Something- um, something related to the maurine fauna?"

"That, or microscopic creatures? Something that excites her anyway," Jean says, and Armin makes sure to commit that piece of information to memory - everything Hange studies is worth his attention. Then Jean adds, "by the way does someone know - Captain still lives with her?"

Connie hastens to get in front of the group on the stairs, and says, "I'm pretty sure he still does. I mean-" he rubs at the back of his neck - "someone has to look after him, right?"

"Just don't mention it in front of him, dummy," Sasha chastises, slapping Connie on a forearm. "But I've heard about it too - Captain Levi does share the house with Hange. They're like Connie and I!" she brings him in for a quick hug, despite his abundant protests. "Together till the grave!"

Jean raises a sceptic eyebrow. "And what about Niccolo?"

Sasha huffs - so indignant, as though a mere doubt hurts her to the core. "Niccolo is my heart!" she declares proudly. "And my stomach- maybe. But Connie!" she smooches his shaved head. "Oh, he's my soul!"

"Maybe," Armin tries, all too quiet in comparison to his companions. "Captain Levi is all that for Hange-san?"

The trio laughs at him - almost in unison. After a second, Armin chuckles too, joining on their fun. Captain Levi and Hange-san? Together? What could be more ludicrous?

---

They wait until Historia and Mikasa arrive on a balcony on the second floor. Sasha and Connie had just started a surprisingly competitive game of tug and chase, almost pulling Jean in it, when Mikasa shows up.

Jean immediate straightens, like a soldier on a parade, and puts on the most bored yet handsome face Armin has ever seen. He has to give him credit for that, and - maybe - also ask for some advices later. Or give some himself, because surely, if he ever tried something like that on Annie, she'd be chuckling about it even on his deathbed.

Mikasa smiles too, just briefly, and when the Queen, at last, makes her entrance, shockingly - without her baby, she leads them to the door of Hange's office, knocking on it decisively.

The muffled 'come in!' sounds instantly, and Armin has but a second to pull himself together and remember - wipe that creepy grin - before he tumbles inside, propelled forward by impatient Sasha, and finds himself in tight clutches that he quickly identifies as Hange Zoe's famous suffocating hug.

"My dears!" she all but gushes. "Come here, come here. I missed you all so, so much."

Armin did too, as he is sure did all of his friends. The island's been too quiet without Hange's shrill voice.

"If you missed them so," comes a deep and gruff voice that Armin too recognizes instantly, despite not hearing it for almost a year. "You should have come back much sooner."

"Levi," Hange huffs, stops her smothering of Connie to admonish him a tired look. "You know that my work is important."

"More important than people who care about you? Or your own health?"

This feels like an argument that's been steering for too long, and discussed almost daily. Armin nearly bursts into laughter as he looks over Sasha's head and meets Mikasa's eyes.

"Some things never change, eh?" Jean remarks dryly, and now all of them - except Captain, of course - break into giggles. But even he shows a smile - small and quick to disappear, but Armin's keen eyes pick up on it all the same.

"It's good to see you," Levi says, as he rolls his wheelchair forward and shakes everyone's hands. "Although, you all are so big I don't think I can even call you brats anymore."

"Aw, you absolutely can!" Sasha assures him with a wide smile. "By now, it's actually endearing."

Levi shares a look with Hange then, as though telling her, "Look what weirdos we raised up," and Armin is hit by a huge wave of- of something - of affection, nostalgia and gratitude that it was those two exceptional people that helped him become the man who he is today.

"How have you been?" Historia asks, dragging Jean, Sasha and Connie to take a seat at the sofa in the corner of the office. Armin and Mikasa occupy the two chairs that stand by Hange's desk.

"Oh, you know," Captain makes a vague gesture. "It's almost the same - I look after the house, make sure that this weirdo over here," he jerks his thumb at Hange, and she makes a face at him in retaliation. Armin hides a smile. "Doesn't die from something stupid and easily avoidable. Although, I do have to say that cleaning time has reduced severely, now that I only have to clean our shit."

"Just you two in the house then?" Mikasa asks, and it doesn't escape Armin - that look she shares with Sasha.

"Just the two of us," Hange replies, with a sigh - almost dreamy? Content? Armin catalogues it for later. "But now that we came back-"

"The boring ones stay with four-eyes. And everyone else is invited to have a tea with me and catch up."

"I'm not boring. I'm fascinating." Hange turns to Armin, her gaze adopting a puppy-eyed look. "Am I not right?"

"You're right, as always," he answers truthfully, and Hange absolutely beams. She sticks her tongue at Levi, and he sighs warily, but relents quickly and pats her head affectionately.

And that- that familiarity, that flawless back-and-forth, easy banter and certain knowledge of each other's boundaries - Armin knows it. He and Annie have all of it, but- but, Annie and he are together, romantically involved. They are so far away from Hange and Levi are. Maybe, it's years and years of knowing each other then, that makes their relationship appear so comfortable.

After all, they've always been the same way. It's only Armin's new perspective that now shines a different light on it all.

It's their Hange-san and Captain Levi, in the end. Them being in love? What could be more ludicrous?

---

He and Jean are the only one who stay behind with Hange, everyone else has moved to the Queen's living room, but Hange-san- doesn't seem to be insulted by it in the slightest. On the contrary, her eye shines brightly, as she shares with Armin and Jean her latest discoveries.

And it's- invigorating, she pulls them into her orbit so swiftly Armin barely notices it. She's brilliant - in every way, one of the few people who can interest him and not only keep up with him in a conversation, but actually pose a challenge to his intellect.

But it's all too soon, unfortunately, that the others come back. Armin is nearly devastated that their conversation was cut off too short. And his surprise is enormous, when he learns that they've been talking for almost two hours.

"There," Captain Levi is by Hange's side in an instant, eerily quiet despite his wheelchair. He puts a cup of tea before her, and pushes it closer insistently. "Your throat must be dry like sand, from all that talking."

And that tiny moment - Armin knows it too; Annie always brings him coffee and cookies, when he has to deal with paperwork for too long. What does it mean, he thinks, that his relationship with Annie resembles that between his ex-superiors so much?

Hange thanks Levi with a small tap on his shoulder and quiet smile, grateful but not surprised in the slightest, like that same scene between them had replayed a dozen of times before.

It had, now Armin he remembers it swiftly: the many-many nights he had spent in the office of Commander Hange and Captain Levi, who despite his own numerous duties, had always found the time to ensure that their brave leader remained sated and healthy. And even now it doesn't seem to change, even though duty doesn't bound them anymore.

This loyalty- is inspiring, if nothing more. And begs for a few questions.

Is it - just friendship and loyalty? Or is there something bigger that they up until now has been oblivious to?

"Forgive me, my dears," Hange's gentle voice cuts through his convoluting thoughts. "I would love nothing more than to stay and chat with all of you for a little longer, but there are others who, I'm sure, have missing us even more. And though I'm quite positive they are in no hurry," her smiles wobbles, ever so slightly, and Captain presses a finger to her forearm, offering his silent support. "I'm as eager as ever to talk to them."

"She'd bore Berner to the second death with her lectures," Levi snorts, and his joke, as deadpan as it is, lifts the mood in the room once again.

"You have my full permission," Hange huffs lightheadedly, "to request the kids' help and drag me back home."

"Don't think I won't do it, four-eyes," Captain warns, and Hange laughs, as she stands up.

And Armin notices instantly - something's not right. Or, more precisely, something is not the way it used to be. Before Hange stood with her back straight, and only in moments of deep concentration or awful exhaustion could she allow herself to relax her posture and put a hand on her hip.

Now, though, she stands with a hand on her side, prepping up her back, and her stance- is not exhausted, not exactly, but it's not utterly relaxed either. Hange carries herself strangely, as though her own body has grown unfamiliar to her.

As though she is dragged down by a weight that wasn't there before.

Armin knows, he's not seeing things, everyone noticed it too and now all of them wear the almost identical lost expressions. Silence over the rooms, drags on forward, wedges on a side of being uncomfortable, almost tense, but-

The day is saved flawlessly, by their amazing Queen.

"Don't forget to come over for tea," Historia says, and Armin blinks, shifting his intense (creepy, Annie's voice chides in his head) gaze from Hange's stomach. "The little one can't eager to meet you."

"Oh, we won't be strangers, don't worry," Hange puts on her hat, then helps Levi with his. Armin watches it keenly, something akin to revelation brewing inside him. "Armin, Jean and I yet have much to discuss, and I'm sure-" she giggles, patting Levi's shoulder. "Our shorty will undoubtedly find some errand for the others to run with him."

"We'll be honoured," Jean slightly bowes, and Hange smiles at him one last time, before helping Levi with making their exit.

A bit of silence follows, before Connie asks, as unsure as Armin himself feels, "So Hange-san... she's eating well?"

"Connie!" Sasha shrieks and slaps him on the arm. "You can't say things like that!"

"But he's right," Mikasa says quietly. "Hange-san does seem..." she falters, not quite finding the suited word.

"A bit chubbier?" Jean comes to the rescue, wincing as he does so. "Plumpier?"

"She must be eating something real tasty..." Sasha whispers, her eyes lightening up almost fervently.

And he's the one with a creepy smile, Armin shakes his head. At imaginary Annie in his head and at his friends too. They're wrong, Armin thinks, Hange got more round, that's true. But that's not the core of the problem, that's not what has changed. Then what exactly has changed?

"You dimwits," Historia chides softly. Her eyes twinkle brightly, like she knows something they don't. Perhaps, she truly does. Armin waits with a baited breath. "Hange-san isn't fat. She is pregnant."

Again, the silence follows. But this one is broken by Connie's loud yell.

"What!"

And accompanied by Jean's disbelieving. "Hange-san? It can't be!"

"No, no," Sasha shakes her head. "Historia might just be right. I remember when mom was pregnant with my little bro. She looked a lot like Hange-san does now, at least, in the beginning. Oh no," she draws a hand across her face, takes a deep breath, "she really is pregnant. We are going to have a little brother."

"Or a sister," Jean objects.

"Or maybe both!" Connie finishes merrily.

They all share a smile that diminish, when Mikasa, innocently sipping on her tea, asks, "Who do you think is the father?"

Jean chokes on his own tea, and Armin too is shocked to the core by that seemingly logical question. Of course, if Hange-san is pregnant, then someone else must be involved in the process. It is perfectly logical, natural. But somehow just thinking about it gives Armin a whiplash.

"So..." Connie drums his fingers against the table. "Drinks at our place?"

They all nod eagerly.

---

Opinions were passed around the table, along with the alcohol.

"Maybe, it's Onyankopon?" Historia offers, thanking Connie for pouring her a glass of sweet wine. "They used to be pretty close..."

"Wouldn't he come with her to the island then?" Jean reasons. "Onyankopon seems like a good man, and a good man would never do that. If I ever got someone pregnant," he declares, and even tipsy, Armin doesn't miss the look of longing Jean sends Mikasa's way. "I wouldn't abandon them even for a second."

He makes sense, ruining Historia's theory, and they all drink to that, each staring into their glass.

"Then..." Sasha tries. "Hange-san met someone during her travels?"

"Why didn't she introduced them to us?" Mikasa questions. "Besides," she softly chuckles, playing with a rim of her glass. "I think Captain would have had that someone else's head, if they treated Hange-san so negligently."

Armin takes another sip of wine as he mulls over it. Would their Captain, who is famous for looking after oftentimes careless scientist, really let someone get so close to her? Armin tries to imagine it, along with a scene of Captain giving that someone the good old 'if you ever hurt her' speech. He is not a proud man, and he admits readily that if he were that someone, he'd probably shit his pants. As Captain would have called it.

But if it's not someone new...

"I've got it!" Connie yells out suddenly, slamming a palm on the table and startling everyone around it. "It's Flegel!"

"Flegel?" everyone mouths the name in confusion, and only Historia seems to know the man behind that name. She makes a face at the mere mention, a quiet whine slipping from her lips.

They all - almost simultaneously - turn to look at her.

"He's a son of that bastard Reeves," she says, and both her and Armin take a gulp of wine, washing down unwanted memories. "He's a nicer man than his father, though. And I know he's very fond of Hange-san, but ugh..." she shakes her head. "He's such a bother! Comes to my office almost daily, requesting permission for this and that."

"He's- fond of Hange-san?" Sasha asks, the rest of Historia's words flying right through her. "He is the father then! Hange-san must come to the island to reunite with him."

Armin has a dozen - or even more - arguments against this particular claim, but all of them are just on the verge of being past tipsy, so when Connie proposes to go and talk with that Flegel, no one finds the words to protest.

---

The evening already rolls around, the setting sun throwing red beams on the walls, when they finally reach Flegel's home in the capital. It is not just a house, though, Armin notes. It looks more like a mansion, and that observation- gives him a pause.

He can imagine a child playing in that pretty garden they pass through on their way to the front door quite clearly, he can even see Hange-san, elbow deep in the soil, getting out only to write down some notes. But he cannot, for the love of him, picture Hange-san and her baby - almost identical ball of energy - existing in this giant house that is as grand as it is soulless.

The little cabin he knows Hange shares with Captain Levi seems so much like her. Does she really love that Flegel then?

The light in the house is on, when their group approaches, and Sasha quickly glances over at Connie, before she knocks on a door.

The man opens it after a moment, smiling expectantly. A butler, Armin guesses, although this one is dressed far more casually than the one that works for Historia.

"How can I help you?" the man asks. His eyes scan their group, until finally- they find its target. His smile grows tenfold, as he cries out, "Your Majesty! It is such an honor!"

He opens the door wider, letting them pass, and frets over Historia's outwear and her drink of choice, before he darts away, calling out Flegel's name.

They all hold their breathes, waiting for Flegel to emerge and hoping - that he'd do so with Hange by his side.

When Flegel comes out to greet them, he really isn't alone. A hand is wrapped around his waist, but it's not Hange's, it's- the butler's that actually isn't a butler.

Some sigh, some shake their heads, disappointed, Connie actually curses out loud, and Flegel watches them with growing confusion, stuttering out a quiet, "M-my Queen?"

"Forgive us for interrupting your evening," Historia recovers swiftly and smiles, the literal picture of grace. "But I've been just telling my friends about your wonderful wine..."

"Not another word!" Flegel raises a finger. "I don't have much at my place, but the best bottle yet is in my cellar, I'll have it brought to you in just a moment."

He turns to his servant, barking orders, and im meanwhile Historia shrugs and looks at her friends.

"At least, we got more wine," she mouths.

It is a disappointingly small conciliation, but- good wine is hard to come by. Hopefully, it'll be just sweet enough to wash away the bitter taste of their disappointment.

---

The bottle of Flegel Reeves' best wine expends fairly quickly, on a bench near the oak tree. Connie is just finishing the last drop, when he starts swinging the bottle around, and yells out, "That Flegel! Old bastard! Jean, me and you," he pulls Jean in by his shoulder, and hard as he tries to resist his friend, Jean simply is not strong enough to do so. "We should have beaten him up, for our Hange-san! How dares he-"

"Connie, Connie," Sasha shushes him, and carefully takes the bottle away, passing it onto Mikasa. "You realize that Flegel isn't the father? He isn't cheating on Hange-san."

"Oh..." Connie's eyes round up. All his anger melts instantly. He tilts his head, looking up at Sasha. "He's not?"

"No, you blabbering idiot," Jean smacks him on the head, now finally having strength to pull away. "We're back to square one, with no clue who is the father."

"Maybe, we can just ask?" Mikasa says simply. Everyone gawks at her - despite the simplicity of her solution. To add to their flabbergasted state, she adds, "Actually, I'm pretty sure that Hange-san will tell us everything herself."

Mikasa is a genius, Armin decides, and all of them are bunch of idiots. What mystery are they even trying to solve, if in due time, it all will come out anyway?

"You are our guiding light," he whispers to her, presses a kiss to her hand, and, while Mikasa is blushing prettily, Jean is getting lost in watching it, and Historia is bickering with Sasha and Connie, he leaves their ranks, to head to the bakery that is just a street away.

He might come home late, terribly drunk and embarrassing, but at least, he'll come home with the cinnamon rolls his fiance had asked him for.

He tries to be swift as possible about it, not wanting to leave his friends alone for too long, but by the time he comes back, he finds them all back on their feet, moving away from that bench they were sitting with clear intent in their stride.

Hugging the package from bakery to his chest tightly, Armin catches up with them, and at his question that comes out, accompanied by a heavy pant, Connie answers, "Historia got us a hefty discount. We're going to the best restaurant in whole Sina!"

"Hey!" Sasha kicks him, and Connie quickly corrects himself, "Best restaurant in whole Sina, after Niccolo's, of course."

Armin hums, and follows after them contently. Of course, he'd be just - if not more - content to go home to his Annie, but it's so rare when all of them gather together like this, and even rarer when the cause for it is something so lighthearted.

The restaurant is packed, naturally, but after just one smile from Historia, the stuff find them a table and swear to bring their orders in almost no time.

Armin twiddles his thumbs, half-heartedly participating in a conversation with Jean and Historia, and looks around the room. The guests here are dressed so much better than him that he almost feels embarressed. One couple, however, stands out of the crowd, their fashion actually very similar to Armin. He squints his eyes, trying to get a better a look at them, when-

"Guys!" Connie outpaces him, attracting everyone's attention. He motions them to get closer, his voice hushed and excited, as he says, "It's them! It's Hange-san and Captain Levi! They're here!"

Instantly, all of them turn their heads in that direction, and become witnesses to Hange feeding Levi her soup. The mere act of their stoic Captain having someone to spoon-feed him is startling enough, but then, as if previous deed wasn't enough, a small drip of soup trickles down his face, and Hange-san, with no hesitation at all, licks it away and then presses a kiss to the same place.

Their table is engulfed in silence, as they stare at the scene, eyes getting rounder and rounder, because Levi - their Captain Levi, who made them clean toilets if he noticed a single speck of dirt on the floor - doesn't slap Hange's hands away, doesn't hiss and curse, barely chastices her. And then they carry on, with whatever conversation they were having. As if nothing have happened.

"My god..." Sasha mumbles, barely above a whisper. "So Captain and Hange-san- are they together? He is the father?"

"Looks like we're getting an actual sibling," Connie jokes, but no one laughs, too shocked to do so.

Armin is bewildered himself. It makes sense, he supposes, they live together, after all, they've been by each other's side even before he got to know them, but somehow this simple truth... appears too fantastical to be true.

Hange-san and Captain Levi, they were together for so long that the fact that they are, in fact, together sends them all in turmoil. But it's quite logical, on the other hand. They were just too blind to see.

"Should we let them know that we know?" Historia asks, leaning over the table. "Congratulate them or something?"

"No need," they all jump in their seats, when that voice appears. How can he remain so quiet, even on a wheelchair will be forever a mystery to Armin. "You brats are just as loud as you always were."

"But they've grown more observed," Hange says, and when Jean notices that she too has approached, he scooches over to let her sit down. She does, with a heavy sigh. "We were going to tell you tomorrow," she says, her hand quickly, seemingly without her even realizing it, wrapping around Levi's. Another hand falls on her stomach. "But I'm glad you've figured it out yourselves."

"Saves us the trouble," Levi grumbles.

"And makes me proud for raising you that way," Hange adds, smiling softly.

"So..." Historia begins cautiously, but practically brimming with excitement. "When is the wedding?"

"The wedding?" Hange and Levi share a look. Both seem utterly confused at the question. "We don't need it."

"But it's the wedding!" Sasha urges on, even though the rest hang their hands in disappoinment. "Surely you need it - to celebrate you, get rings and..."

"Oi," Levi raises a hand, halting her. "We said we don't need it."

"What's the point in a second wedding anyway?" Hange laughs, and everyone's jaws touch the ground.

"What!" Sasha all but shrieks. "What do you mean a second wedding? Was there a first one?"

"Naturally," Hange nods. "A long time ago, of course..." she tugs on Levi's hand. "When we had done it?"

"Just after Maria fell."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," she shakes her head, minutively tilting it to give Levi a wistful smile. "Too much tragedies for our lives, I'm afraid."

While two adults bask in their affection, Armin drags his gaze away from the scene and stares at his friends in confusion. Captain Levi and Hange-san are married, have been way before they even joined Survey Corps? How is that possible? How did they not notice, not a single sign of it?

"And you've said they're sharp," Levi tuts, noticing their long faces. "We'd be shitty soldiers," he explains to them, "if we shouted about our feelings."

"And it became even more complicated when I was outranking Levi... Reputation and all that, kids," Hange chuckles. "Really important, even in the army."

"So you two..." Armin stummers, in disbelief. "All this time?"

"I'm surprised you haven't figured it all out." Hange says. "We weren't exactly subtle."

But all of them were too blind to see. Now that he knows the whole truth, though, certain moments take different shapes.

"Well, it's been fun," Levi announces, as he pulls on Hange's hand. "But as all of you now know, someone needs to rest a lot."

"Yeah, we'll be going," Hange agrees, standing up to wrap her hands around the handles of Levi's wheelchair. Jean jumps up to offer his help, but instantly, Hange waves him off. "Go and have fun, my dear, I'll take him home just fine. I mean-" she laughs, and the sound is so merry that everyone joins in. "What kind of a person can't take her husband home? Have a good evening. And," she fixes Armin with a look, "Hangover or not, I expect you in my office next morning."

"Yes!" Armin cries out, forgetting himself for a moment and almost giving Hange a salute. But then he remembers something else, a moment from a long time ago, and gathers the courage to ask aboit it, before Hange exits the room. "Oh, and by the way, Hange-san? Remember that time when a table broke in your office. Was that-"

"Oh yeah!" she throws her head back, laughter carrying all over the restaurant. "Levi fucked me real good then."

They leave without saying another word, but Armin and his friends stay, digesting the information. They first stare dumbly at the table, then look up to look each other in the eyes.

It is Jean who breaks the tense silence.

"Another bottle?"