CHAPTER 18 - The Man's Befuddlement

---

He pulled her beside her and hugged her as the both of them laid down and snucked onto each other. Levi grabbed his comforter tat was under his pillow and placed it on the two of them. He placed his arms around Mikasa's shoulders. While breathing heavily, Mikasa pecked a kiss on him on his lips as she looked onto his eyes before she uttered the words she had always wanted to tell him.

"I love you." She said and smiled at him. A tired smile. She did not anticipated for Levi to return her words since it was his nature to not be vocal with his feelings and thoughts but even though she felt it, she wanted to hear him say it. Just to confirm it, even though she felt his love, it would still feel different if he would say those words to her, but she knew that would not happen. She let her head rest onto his chest and prepared herself to sleep. After a few moments of thinking, Levi kissed her head before he prepared himself to sleep as well.

"I'm in love with you." He whispered, hoping Mikasa to hear him but when he looked at her, she was already asleep in his arms. He slowly smiled and shook his head before he uttered some more words and kissed the tip of her head once more as he closed his eyes to sleep.

"Maybe you can hear it some other time."

---

"H-heichou..." Eren asked the man who was in front of him right after he opened the door of the man's office. It was just a day that had passed when the thing between him and Mikasa happened.

Levi looked up as he saw Eren in front of him who had a very wide smile plastered on his face.

"What is it that you want?" Levi asked as he stood up from his seat.

"Where's Mikasa?" Eren asked as Levi felt his cheeks heat up when he heard her name but then sighed as an act to show Eren how stupid his question was.

"She's probably with Hanji and Erwin." He said as he leaned on the window at his back and took a glimpse outdoor. There, he saw Mikasa with Hanji and Erwin, playing with John on the grounds.

Eren's eyes grew big as he suddenly saw a smile on Levi's face. He was surprised for the fact that it gave off a different feeling. Much more different from the smile that he saw years back then, when Levi thanked them.

"O-oh. Thanks. But where is she? I mean them?" Eren asked as he walked towards the inner part of Levi's office. Levi looked at him with his plain face.

"She's down there, playing with John." He said as looked at Mikasa again, that made Eren walked towards where Levi was and looked at where Levi was looking.

"You..." Eren suddenly uttered that made Levi looked at him with his grouchy face.

"What?" He said. "And what do yo want with her anyways?" He continued as he pulled himself from leaning on the window and walked towards where his chair was.

"I just wanted to tell her the news about me and Annie." Eren said as he faced Levi with his big smile that made Levi furrowed his brows.

"What about you two?" He asked.

"We're planning to get married." Eren said that made Levi's eyes grew big. Eren was so happy telling it to Levi as he smiled carelessly at him while scratching the back of his head.

"Well, thanks Heichou." He said and started to walk towards the door of his room as Levi was watching him.

"Uh, Captain..." Eren said before he turned back to face Levi again. Levi gave him a look with his furrowed brows, asking him to continue his words. "What about you and Mikasa? When will you plan to... Nevermind." He said and smiled at him before he opened the door and left.

Levi looked down outdoor again before he smiled while he was staring at Mikasa who was carrying John while running away from Hanji who was pretending to be a titan that was going to eat them.

"Marriage huh?"

---

"Mikasa!" Eren shouted as he ran towards his sister who was carrying Hanji and Erwin's son. Compared to Eren, Mikasa became more close with the two after those five years that passed.

Hanji stopped from pretending to be a titan as she stood up straight and smiled at Eren. Mikasa stopped running as well before she faced her brother while she was holding John who was still giggling because of his mother.

"Oh, Eren!" Hanji exclaimed as soon as she saw him. Erwin stood up from the ground and went to Mikasa before he grabbed John from her.

"What made you come here?" Mikasa asked as soon as John was on Erwin's arm. She then, walked towards Eren as she was waiting for his answer.

Eren was about to speak when he suddenly saw his sister smiled genuinely that put a halt on what he was supposed to say. He thought she was looking ag him but when he looked directly to her eyes, she was looking at his back.

"Levi..." She uttered as she walked passed through Eren and gave the man behind him a hug.

"Hey, you know what. I'm glad that someone can finally make my sister happy and that someone already put a halt on her being over protective to me but come on. I have a big news, don't steal her away from me Captain." He said as he put up his hands on his waist as he faced Levi who returned the hug to Mikasa.

"What? She was the one who came to me." Levi said as Mikasa released him from her embrace and faced Eren with her furrowed brows.

"Oh, a jealous brother. I see." Erwin said before all of them laughed except for Eren. His cheeks actually flushed from Erwin's description of him.

"What's the big news Eren?" Mikasa asked him while smiling. She smiles more often now. I wonder what happened between them. Eren thought as she looked at his sister, thinking about the incident in the meeting room before.

Eren shook his head before she faced Mikasa again and smiled at her with his big smile. "Annie and I are getting married!" He exclaimed, making everyone shocked except from Levi, who already heard the news.

"W-what? H-how? I mean..." Mikasa said as she looked at Eren and walked towards him. "You two already made up right after the meeting?" She continued, making Eren look at her with his unbelieving eyes.

"Seriously? What do you think what happened between you and Heichou?" He said that immediately made Mikasa blush as she remembered that night and making Levi look away from Erwin and Hanji's suspecting eyes as he blushed.

Levi walked beside Mikasa and spoke as soon as they got near them. "Stop spitting some nonsense brat and just answer her question."

Eren looked at Levi with his scared face and stepped back a little, making Mikasa giggle for a moment.

Eren looked back at Mikasa before he looked at Erwin and Hanji as well. He smiled widely as he annouced. "Annie and I found out that she was pregnant!"

Everyone's eyes was wide open. Even Levi was not an exception to it.

"What?!" Mikasa and Hanji exclaimed in unison. "How and when did you?!" Hanji said before a smile drew on her face as she held Eren's shoulders with the both of her hands.

"We just knew it yesterday when we were reconciling. So we decided to get married sooner." He said while scratching the back of his head.

"So that's why he was so excited to tell Mikasa about it. He's going to be a father." Erwin said with a wide smile on his face.

"Why are you guys so excited about it?" Levi suddenly uttered before he looked at Mikasa's excited face.

"Oh, the old geezer can't understand how it feels to be a new parent." Hanji teased Levi as she was trying to get her son from Erwin. A tch was released from Levi's mouth as he turned his face away from them.

Erwin chuckled as he walked beside his comrade before he put his one hand on his shoulder and told him something.

"Levi, why don't you and Mikasa try to make one so that you can understand how Eren feels right now?" He said before he turned his face to Mikasa. The both of them blushed with the thought of making one, but soon felt warm with the thought of having a family. The thing that the both of them had always wanted to have.

Levi looked at Mikasa, who was soon distracted by his brother who was excited to be married on the following days.

"It will really feel different Levi." Hanji soon said right after she walked towards him. "We know how much you wanted and needed one." She added with symphathy visible on her eyes.

Levi looked away before he decided to walk towards where Erwin was sitting before. He sat their and looked at the people around him. Siblings. He thought, as he looked at Mikasa and Eren who was talking happily with each other. He turned his head towards Hanji and Erwin with their child, as he faintly smiled at the scenery. Family. He thought as he closed his eyes, as the image of his uncle and his mother flashed to his mind, but later on, it showed Mikasa.

"Mikasa..." He uttered as soon as he opened his eyes. He moved his head to look for her and seeing her with a smile while she was talking with her brother made him smile as well, unconsciously.

"We'll have a dinner later to celebrate it with everyone!" Eren said with his smiling eyes. His grin never left his face.

"You sure are really happy huh?" Hanji said as she walked towards where Mikasa and Eren were standing while she was carrying her son, John.

"Of course!"

---

The sun was hiding as the moon started to shower its light to the premises of the Earth. Eren and Annie were smiling as they greet their visitors who went to their small gathering.

Mikasa, Levi, Hanji, Erwin, John, Armin and Historia sat on the same round table as Sasha, Jean, Connie sat together with Jean's squad.

After bein congratulated by tons of soldiers, Eren and Annie went to the table where Mikasa and the others were and sat on the vacant chairs around them. Even though it was supposed to be a small gathering it seemed like the whole scouting legion was invited.

"Good thing you guys are prepared for the whole bunch of soldiers." Hanji said before she laughed.

"Well yeah, we kind of expected it." Annie said before she smiled faintly at Hanji, that made Hanji's eyes grew big.

"Woah! You could actually smile?!" Hanji exclaimed before Erwin laughed as Levi rolled his eyes. Eren looked at his fiance before he held her hand and smiled at him widely.

"Of course she does!" He said as Mikasa was just staring at them.

"Seriously. It's freaking noisy here." Levi said as his arms were crossed on his chest while glaring at the people around them. His brows were twitching before he felt two fingers that were massaging his brows. As if it was trying to separate it with each other.

The people on their table laughed as they were watching how confused Levi looked.

"There there, your brows keep on meeting each other don't they?" Mikasa said softly that made Levi look at her. Her eyes were smiling as he saw her genuine smile once more, as his brows started to relax naturally. Mikasa softly giggled as she removed her hand from his forehead.

He was supposed to say something else when he suddenly noticed how the people at their table stared at the two of them, waiting for Levi's response as if it would be the best thing that they could wait for. Levi got annoyed before his brows furrowed again.

"Stop treating me like a kid." He said, making everyone at their table laugh.

"Levi's shy to show his affection to Mikasa." Hanji whispered to Erwin as she giggled with her words. Levi heard it and darted her a glare. Erwin only smiled, trying to hide his laughter while he was holding his child.

Mikasa chuckled as she saw Levi's reaction to what Hanji whispered, or more like said since everyone in their table actually heard it. She forced to place her right hand on the space between Levi's biceps and his upper torso before her hand find its way to make Levi's crossed arms separate and held his left hand. He let her do what she wanted, before Mikasa bent her body before she rested her head on Levi's left shoulder while smiling.

They received an aww from Hanji and Historia before Levi released a tch from his mouth.

"Levi..." Mikasa called, before she pulled her head up and rested her chin onto Levi's left shoulder while facing him while their hands were intertwined with each other as it was resting on Levi's left lap.

Levi faced Mikasa before his eyes grew big out of shock as the other people in their table, including his girlfriend, laughed at him. Mikasa kissed Levi on his lips for a second before she laughed at his reaction and rested her head again on his shoulder while giggling. Hanji and Erwin could not stop laughing as Historia and Armin could not help but to find the two too adorable for doing those things, before Levi glared at Mikasa who did not meet his glare because she was too busy laughing, and with that, Levi suddenly smiled before he rested his head onto Mikasa's. Mikasa suddenly stopped giggling as her eyes widen as well as Hanji and Erwin's.

For Mikasa, it was normal for Levi to do those things when they were alone. It shocked her when she knew he did it in front of everyone, but nevertheless, she ignored everyone's reaction and closed her eyes before she smiled.

Armin was not expecting for Mikasa to do things like that, he guessed that things really did change from time to time.

"Oi Mikasa! This is my and Annie's small party! Don't steal the limelight with Heichou!" Eren joked as Mikasa and Levi got confused.

They did not notice how the place became quiet, but when the both of them looked around, they found out that everyone was actually staring at them. Well, making the people at the corner table an exception.

Levi looked at Mikasa with his glare as Mikasa rested her chin onto his shoulders again as she was looking up to his eyes. He hated attention, and she knew that. They both hated attention, but she did not expect for them to be on the center of it. Instead of returning Levi's bad vibes, Mikasa smiled at him carelessly for a few seconds before she heard Levi sighed in his defeat.

He could not stand her playfulness at times.

The other's laughed, as well as Mikasa, before she rested her head again and snuggled onto his neck.

"I really can't believe those two!" Connie exclaimed as he drank his alcoholic drink that was on his mug that he was holding.

"Yeah! Like, come on. You went home after being gone for almost two years and then he got her pregnant?! I mean, I didn't know those two liked each other!" Sasha said before she did what Connie had done.

"Well, that's not what I meant. I mean, you know. They did it. Right? The thing that married people do!" Connie said before he laughed as Jean shook his head while drinking his beer.

"It was actually obvious that Eren kind of liked Annie in some way before. He couldn't attack her before, remember?" Jean said as he looked at the two who were beside him. When he looked at Sasha, their eyes met as the lady's body suddenly stiffen before she looked away from his gaze as she felt herself blush.

Jean furrowed his brows with confusion, but later realized what happened. He knew that Sasha had always liked him in some way ever since the competition that they had and he had always wished that Mikasa was her every time he remembered it. He had always avoid the romance subject when he was talking with Sasha, since he knew he could not return her feelings equally, for him it was better to not show anything to Sasha any affection at all. Even though he knew to himself that it was not impossible for him to like her, he was just not ready. He still hoped that he had a chance with Mikasa, not until he saw how happy she was with Levi though.

Connie looked at Sasha who looked away before he looked at Jean who was looking down on his thighs. He knew the situation between them. He knew Jean's point of view and he had always knew how Sasha felt for Jean. Connie sighed before he decided to drink from his mug again. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the backrest of the chair. He had always loved Sasha, and it hurt him every time he saw her look at Jean's back and how she always talked about him when he was not around. He was jealous of Jean on how he could make Sasha smile so genuinely when he did not even do a single thing. Effortlessly, Jean could make the love of Connie's life shine so brightly with her smile.

Every single day, never did he forget to wish that he could be Jean.

"I... I'll be out for a minute." Connie said right after he opened his eyes and pushed the chair backwards with his feet. He stood up and grabbed his mug before he left the table.

Jean and Sasha looked at him as he walked away, before their eyes met again as the same thing happen like a cycle. Sasha looked away and immediately grabbed her mug before she gulped down everything that was their. Jean did not know what to do and did the same thing, before they even knew, they lost their senses already.

Connie on the other hand was on the same state as they were but the difference was that, he was alone.

The party ended, and his unconscious self suddenly walked towards a room where he was very familiar with. He entered the room and sat on the bed where she usually lay herself down. He grabbed the pillow and sniffed as he smell her scent.

Time passed and the remaining soldiers from the 104th trainee squad has their own rooms as they were the respected soldiers from the scouting legion. Connie's room was on the other hall, for men, but there were no guards in their quarters that time since they were on Eren's party, drinking.

"Sasha..." He called, as his tears started to flow down to his face.

Few hours later, the owner of the room suddenly walked inside and jumped off to her bed. Her brows furrowed when she felt something on her bed.

She fixed herself as she started to feel the figure with her hands. Her eyes were closed as she started to slide down her hands onto the figure on her side. She felt clothes, arms, and a well structured chest and abdomen. Her hands continued to slide as her hands passed through something sacred, but her senses already left her a few hours ago. She unconsciously rubbed the thing, as she felt it slowly make a small tent with the cloth around it, before she rested her head and a small part of her upper torso on his abdomen and stopped moving.

The man on his bed woke up from the small pleasure he received. He sat up, and gently pulled the person on him and place her on his side. He twitched his brows when he felt the heat of his body and his sacred thing.

He slowly bent down himself to face the girl that was beside him. He softly gave her small pecks of his kisses, before he kissed her passionately. He felt her suddenly respond to his kisses and made it deeper than before.

Even though the thought of doing it is wrong crossed his mind, he still continued doing it. For the reason that he did not know.