It was now late evening, all of us getting ready for bed. Well, most of us, anyway. I was in the bed I was sharing with Levi, though without him - though Emi in my lap. I was reading a book to her, my back pressed to the headboard, the blanket pulled up over both of us.

The living arrangements for this leg of our trip were simple. We were taking up two suites, the two right across the hall from each other. The other boys – Onyankopon, Armin, Eren, Jean, and Connie, were in the other suite. That left the other six of us in this suite.

In our suite, Levi and I had been given the separate master bedroom, so we wouldn't... bother anyone with what we did, as if we'd try anything in such close quarters. Hange, Mikasa, and Sasha were staying in the other bedroom, each in their own bed.

But right now, it seemed that everyone had gathered in the living room of our suite to play cards. I had played a few rounds, but now had to get Emi ready for bed. She'd been bathed, and so after this story was done, it'd be off to bed for her.

Levi had been off somewhere, but stepped into the bedroom now, closing the door behind him. I glanced up at him briefly as he crossed the room before continuing to read.

"And the clever little fox realized that all he had to do was trick the rooster into leaving the coop," I read, "and then he could slip in and have all the hens he wanted to eat. The rooster was a very trusting bird, so it'd be a simple thing to lure him away so the fox could sneak in. The fox-"

"Amaya," Levi interrupted, sitting on the edge of the bed next to us. "We're going out."

"We're... going out," I repeated. "Where?"

"I found something for us to do tonight," he said. "Just... once you're done with this, we're going."

"Mama," Emi said, tilting her head upwards to look up at me expectantly, wanting me of course to continue reading.

"The story's almost done," I said to Levi, returning my attention to the book. I cleared my throat as Levi leaned closer to read along. To the end I read, until the long-awaited, "The end," after which I shut the book resolutely and set it to the side as I glanced down at Emi with a smile.

"All done?"

"All done," I repeated gently.

She whined but it was cut off by a yawn. Levi took the book from me and stood, setting it on the nightstand. I lifted Emi out of my lap and set her in the middle of the bed.

I slid out from under the blanket, standing on the side. She leaned back, her eyelids already fluttering closed as I pulled the blanket to her chest. Levi came back to the other side of the bed once he put the book away, tucking her in on her other side. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Goodnight, Emi," I said quietly as I drew away. "Sleep tight."

Levi leaned down then, planting a kiss on her other cheek. "Goodnight, baby girl," he said, running a gentle hand down her cheek. His eyes were gentle as he regarded her, the smallest of smiles on his lips.

"We love you," I said, smiling as she struggled to open her eyes.

She looked at me, then at Levi, a cute little smile on her lips as she struggled in her fight against sleep. I leaned back in, catching her little nose between my thumb and index finger, and releasing once she scrunched her face up, a little giggle escaping her.

"I said, we love you," I emphasized.

"Love you," she said, bringing a fist to her eyes to rub. She yawned again, and we watched as she gave in, letting sleep overtake her. For a quiet moment we stood there, watching our little one fall asleep slowly.

Then Levi cleared his throat, getting my attention. He leaned down and picked up a small bag, one I hadn't seen him carry in because I'd been so engrossed in the reading. He set it on the foot of the bed gently and I came over to look into it, curious.

"When I went to get the food earlier, I saw a flyer," he said softly. He reached into the bag, rustling through what was in it as quietly as he could, so as not to disturb Emi. "There's an event at the pool. And I wanted to go. With you."

A smile bloomed on my lips and I felt my heart do a little flutter. "Is that your way of asking me on a date?"

"I guess," he muttered as a heavy blush rose on his cheeks. "...Shut up. Are we going or not?"

"I'm your wife," I reminded him with a laugh. "You shouldn't be so embarrassed to ask me on a date. I think it sounds lovely - but honestly, any time alone with you sounds that way to me."

"Whatever," he said. "Don't say embarrassing shit." He finally fished out what he was looking for. "I, um. I-If you wanted to, I w-want - no, would like - for you to wear this."

There was a small, wrapped package, and when he handed it to me, the first thing I noticed was how incredibly light it was. I unwrapped it, revealing much less fabric than I was originally expecting. I immediately knew what it was, and my eyes widened with both the surprise I felt from just imagining wearing it, and the shock that Levi wanted me to wear it.

It was one of the two-piece suits some of the women were wearing at the pool. The set he'd picked was blue, but with white trim. Some part of my mind barely registered the fact that it was the colors of the Survey Corps.

"You want me to wear this?"

"...Yes." He averted his eyes. "But if it's too much – o-or I guess, too little in this case, then-"

"Alright," I cut him off. "Though I might need help." His eyes snapped to mine, and he looked surprised that I'd agreed to it. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I was half expecting you to say no," he said honestly.

"Why?" I asked. "You bought it for me. Why wouldn't I wear it?"

"I wasn't sure if you'd be comfortable with it," he told me.

I lifted the top piece, realizing there were a lot more straps than I originally thought there were. "Oh, goodness. I'm definitely going to need help with this."

"If only there was someone who could help," he said, some semblance of confidence back in his heart as I started towards the bathroom. I undressed, sliding the bottom on. At least that part was simple. I picked up the top again, glancing between it and my reflection in the bathroom mirror, wondering how exactly I was going to get it on my body.

As if reading my thoughts, Levi stepped into the bathroom behind me with a chuckle. "A good place to start would be to cover these up," he said, looking around me at my breasts in the reflection. He glanced up into my eyes, and I smiled, figuring he was probably right. I held the top against me, covering up. Levi reached around me to grab the two straps on the sides, tying them behind my back.

"Is that tight enough?"

"That feels good," I said. He reached and took the other two straps, winding them behind my neck to tie them.

"How's that feel?"

"Go a bit tighter," I said, and he did as told. Once done he stepped away and I turned in a circle, looking at myself in the reflection as I did. Well. No one could tell me that these many years in the military hadn't done anything for me. It looks like someone else had noticed, too. I caught his eye in the mirror and he swallowed hard.

"On second thought," he said, "I don't want other people seeing you in this."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm already wearing it. I'm not taking it off so soon."

"That is, I think, for me to decide," he said, tugging lightly on one of the strings. Still, he stepped out of the bathroom and I followed. "I got something else." He pulled out a dress, light and flowy and short, a floral pattern adorning it. I took it from him, smiling as I ran my fingers over the smooth fabric. "For the walk down. So you're not half-naked getting there."

"I like it," I said truthfully, slipping it on. Levi went into the bathroom then, putting his swimsuit on, keeping a plain shirt on. I giggled quietly as he approached again. "Well, now I feel overdressed."

"Shut up, brat," he said, heading to the door leading to the rest of the suite.

He opened it and gestured for me to go through first. And I did, but only after blowing out the lantern in the room so Emi could sleep peacefully. Then I stepped into the living room, Levi right behind me. The kids, Hange, and Onyankopon looked up from their spots.

"Woah," Sasha said. "Pretty dress, Amaya!"

"Thank you," I said with a smile. "Would you believe who bought it for me?" Levi rolled his eyes as the kids "oohed", the kind reserved for "oh, you've been caught doing something cheesy and romantic".

"Are you going back to the pool?" Jean asked, noticing Levi's suit.

"Yes," Levi answered, but held a hand up to shut the kids up just as they began stirring, as if to rush to get their suits on, too. "But none of you can come."

"Aww," Connie whined, "why not?"

"It's an adult-only event," Levi said. "And in Marley, you brats aren't considered adults."

"That's dumb," Sasha said.

"And unfair," Connie added.

"Ooh," Hange chimed, "so I can come!"

"I'd rather if you didn't," Levi bit out.

"Oh," she said teasingly, "I get it."

"I'd love it if you guys could keep an eye on Emi for us," I said, intervening before Levi would feel so inclined as to cut Hange's head off as she made faces at him.

"Of course," Jean said.

"Something I don't get," Hange piped up, clearly aiming to push her luck, "is the difference between you two. On one hand, you've got Amaya, looking positively radiant in that dress, after years in the military and growing up underground and giving birth." She looked at Levi. "And then there's you. Dressed like a bum."

"Your girl's gonna get taken, captain," Connie said as he dealt the cards to everyone for the next round.

"I mean," Hange continued, only doing it to get a rise out of him, "Amaya looks like the physical manifestation of the sun and also the moon, and I don't know how she's doing it. And yet, despite this, you're going out looking like-"

"Shitty-glasses, I swear to-"

"Alright," I said, taking him by the shoulders and steering him towards the door. "We're off. Thanks for watching Emi, love you all, see you later!" My words were met with equal parts laughter and people calling back. The chorus of voices continued until I closed the door behind us, leaving us in the cool summer evening.

"I've committed murder on one island," Levi said under his breath, reaching for my hand. "I will not hesitate to make it two."

"Levi," I hissed, "you can't just say that!"

Ignoring my words, or perhaps just refusing to acknowledge them for now, he slipped his free hand into his pocket once I took his extended hand and linked our fingers. We began to walk then, heading towards the pool. We could hear the music and smell the pool water before the gate came into view. But once we stepped through the gate and into the pool area, an excited gasp left me as I took in the sights.

"Oh, how pretty! Levi, look!"

Lanterns were strung high above the water and around the deck, a group of musicians were playing a sweet, slow song, and there were plenty of adults already in the water and settled into the chairs.

Levi offered to go get towels if I could find a place to sit. He went right to the towel racks while I walked further onto the pool deck in search of a place to sit. Finally I found an open table, and I sat down at one of the chairs to wait for Levi after slipping off the dress.

My gaze swept over the pool before landing on a man who was already looking at me. Not sure what else to do, I smiled at him, then diverted my gaze again. Still, I could feel his gaze on me, and so I met his eyes again. He had his elbows up on the deck of the pool with the rest of his body submerged, smiling warmly at me, though from a stranger, it was unsettling.

"Can I help you?" I asked. The man was tan, with fluffy dark hair and a smile that would make weaker women swoon.

"That depends," he purred. "I think it'd be a lot of help if I knew the name of such a breathtaking woman."

It was clear he was aiming to be flirtatious, but my form of preferred flirting was to be called a dumbass. At least, that's what Levi did, and I fell in love with him.

"Sorry," I said, "I don't give my name out for free."

He smirked at that, his eyes flashing with something playful. "Oh, is that so? Well then, how much are we talking, here?"

"It's quite a steep price," I said with a shake of my head.

"Who knows," he said, "maybe I can pay in different ways."

"Bold of you to assume I'd allow that," I said, lifting my chin and looking away from him. It was just in time, too, because Levi returned with the towels and I grinned. He didn't waste time sitting down, instead just placing the towels down on the table. "Hello, baby," I said happily.

"My love," he greeted. He grabbed the hem of his shirt and began to pull it off but hesitated.

"You've never hesitated to take your shirt off in front of me before," I said quietly to him with a smirk to rival his own.

"That's different," he muttered. "It's just us when we... you know."

"And it's just us now," I assured him quietly. "No one else matters. Let them look." I chuckled lightly. "You've nothing to be ashamed of, love. The best thing about everyone seeing us is that they'll know that I am yours, and you are mine." I winked at him. "They can certainly look all they like, but no way in hell are they allowed to touch."

My words seemed to instill a confidence in him, because he took his shirt off, and I relished in the way that I could clearly see out of the corner of my eye that the man – who was still watching our interaction, by the way – went wide-eyed and slack-jawed.

"Come on, then," he muttered. "Before I change my mind."

He held a hand towards me, and I took it, the metal bands on our fingers glinting in the light. Levi helped me to my feet, missing the way the man's eyes trailed after us as we headed to the nearest set of stairs down into the pool.

"We're sure it's clean, right?"

"That's what Onyankopon said," I told him. "The chemicals were picked specifically to keep the water clean, but I'm afraid I haven't had time to run tests myself." I stepped down onto the first step in the pool, and looked back at him, noticing his hesitance again. "Besides, there's that big tub in the room. You can wash off as soon as we get back if you like. I'll even join you, if you behave."

Without another word he stepped down, and we slowly waded into the pool, hand in hand. "The water is cold as hell," he grumbled.

"You'll get used to it," I said to him.

This was, as far as I knew, Levi's first time doing anything in water other than bathing. On some days off in the spring and summer, the scouts would travel to a nearby lake and play in the water once the lake warmed enough. None of us had the technical abilities of swimming that Marleyans had, but we'd always play in the shallow water and there was always that odd Scout that had their own style of swimming.

Levi hadn't joined us when all of us were taught how to swim, which hadn't surprised me. Keeping this in mind, I guided us to one of the walls. There were cutouts meant for sitting along the sides of the pool. Finding one that was free, I sat, pulling Levi to sit beside me.

"That swimsuit looks... r-really good on you," he managed to say.

"I'm glad," I said. Seeing the blush on his cheeks, it was all I could do to not pinch them. Instead, I slipped closer. "You might want to act a bit more confident there, love. Otherwise someone might think they can steal me away."

Despite being more than smart enough to see through my ploy, he played right into my hands. One of his hands slid across my back and wound around my waist. Using my temporary near weightlessness from being in the water, he tugged me up and into his lap, which was for him a surprising amount of confidence and a shocking tolerance of public affection.

"T-There," he muttered. "Is this alright?"

I smiled at him to reassure him. "Of course, baby." I turned my head to kiss his cheek. "It's perfectly fine."

And there we sat, a calm sort of date where we reflected on what we'd seen so far, what was left to do, about the kids, about how we thought things were at home, and more. A few people came up to us and joined for a while, and we were careful not to give away too many details about where we were from.

But for the most part, we spoke quietly under the gently swaying lanterns and the dark blanket of the night sky, listening to the band's music and enjoying the rare chance to show off that we belonged to each other, and only to each other.

—

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that she was happier here. It was obvious to everyone, not least of all Levi. But wasn't that as it should be? He knew her better than anyone, so if anyone should have noticed even the most minute changes in her, it should be him - and it was.

As they traveled the continent, taking in all that there was to see and experiencing all that they physically could, she appeared more at ease, which at first, Levi hadn't been able to comprehend. She felt safe here of all places, among those that were their enemies? But no, because for the first time, Paradisians were walking among Marleyans and there was no conflict, no fighting - no war.

Perhaps that was why.  Paradoxically, among their enemies... they could be themselves here. Here, they were not Captains Levi and Amaya, past members of the vanguard, past criminals, thieves, murderers. Here, they were just Levi and Amaya, parents of Emiko, the unofficial adoptive parents of their rambunctious group of teens.

They were very much not normal, but here... they could pretend to be.

Even now, as they were just getting up and out of bed for a rest day here after having returned to the Azumabito Estate in preparation for the council, there was a certain light in her eyes he hadn't seen in a long time. She was a generally happy woman, but here she just seemed... freer, like her shoulders were less burdened with weight and responsibilities than they normally were.

She was the Amaya he'd always known, but as he had always wanted to see her: truly free and completely unburdened. Even if just for a little while, it was nice to see her like this and he hoped that one day, she might be like this all the time.

He sat up in bed and, as she made to do the same, told her quietly not to. She began to protest, but he hushed her with a quick kiss to her lips - something that surprised him as much as it seemed to surprise her. Actually, maybe it surprised her more than it had him, because he was able to get up and out of bed to cross the room to scoop up a just-rising Emiko into his arms, getting a bright peal of excited giggles out of the girl while his wife was unable to do little more than touch the pads of her fingertips to her lips.

It wasn't until they were having breakfast in the peaceful comfort of their room that he got himself to think about it again, and it wasn't until Emi was dismissed from the table after stating quite simply that she was full, leaving only the married couple at the table, that he brought it into the conversation.

"You seem to be in a good mood this morning," he noted first and foremost, which was true. There was a certain something in her face today, glittering in her eyes and sitting tucked away in her smile. It was incredibly evident here, in the quiet sanctity of their suite and now, as she gazed over their daughter as she did a jigsaw puzzle in one of the sunbeams filtering into the room.

With a warm cup of tea in her hands, dark bags under her eyes, yet the most beautiful glow about her... At that moment, he couldn't believe she was his wife. His wife. Of all people, she chose him. She decided he was worth it.

And for a moment, he figured she might not have heard him, because she did not reply. But at long last, she did, and just before he was about to repeat his words. He was glad she did reply, so he didn't have to embarrass himself by repeating words she'd already heard.

"So do you," she replied, redirecting those stunning eyes to settle on his own. Settle... she surely had.

But what had she meant? Ah... the kiss. Yes, he supposed it was not in his nature to give a morning kiss - at least, not on the lips, not without having brushed their teeth first.

"Or... maybe not," she said hesitantly. "Is something the matter?"

"No," he answered right away. "No, not at all. Just..."

"Just...?"

"You seem happier here, Maya."

"Oh? Do I? I hadn't noticed."

Of course she hadn't. She wouldn't, not when it was about herself. No, she was always the last to notice things about herself. But dammit, if she could only see herself now, as he saw her, with messy hair and her top askew, looking so tired yet so ethereal... Maybe she would prioritize herself more.

"You do," he assured her. "And whenever we talk about going home, you get this look in your eyes... like you're sad."

"Ah," she considered, pausing only to take a sip of her tea. "I guess that's because I am."

"Don't you want to go home?"

"Sure," she answered, "but it's complicated."

"Tell me."

"It's stupid, really."

"Not to me, it isn't," he said. "Just talk. I won't let up until you do."

"We're not the world's enemies here," I said. "You're not Humanity's Strongest, I'm not the Blue Wing, we're not anyone but the parents of that beautiful little girl and adoring spouses."

She had a point. It was as he himself had noted - here, they were not soldiers, not criminals, not leaders. They were only a married couple and their daughter.

"When we go back home," she continued, "we'll go right back into our roles. And I miss everyone we left behind, I do, but sometimes I wonder..."

"Go on," he pressed gently.

Her eyes drifted away and settled on the far corner of the room, her eyes becoming glassy and distant, fogged over with deep thought.

"I wonder if we'll make it out of this war," she said, and something about the way she said the words made him want to get up and mbrace her, to tell her that it would be alright. But he couldn't do that. He wanted - and needed - to let her finish and besides that, he couldn't promise that. No one could. Not even her, for all her promises.

"I don't want to lose you," she said softly. "I don't want to lose myself. I don't want our daughter to grow up seeing violence. But how can I assure any of that when war is looming over the horizon? I love being no one here, but we're frauds here, now. Falsified versions of who we want to be. But this... this isn't us. We're violent, sharp, we're leaders and soldiers and... If we do get out of the war alright, what will we do? Pretend to be normal?"

"That's not something we'll know until we get there," he reminded her. "But we at least have plans, right?"

"Plans?"

"Don't tell me you forgot," he chided. "You hardly let me forget."

"Oh," she mused, her eyes meeting his own and finally, a smile tugged at her lips, one she tried to fight but lost to. "The tea shop."

"Right," he spoke, softly now. "The tea shop. We don't know who we are in peace because we haven't met them yet."

"I suppose you're right," she considered. "I don't know who we'll be, but I sure hope I still love you."

It was a teasing remark, one that was not lost on him. He allowed himself to smile, though he was so trained to hide that sort of thing. But he didn't fight it and... perhaps he never would again, for how brightly she smiled at him now. Still, he couldn't help but tease her right back. "You'd better," he said. "I don't know how the hell I tricked you into doing it the first time."

She laughed lightly and, satisfied that he'd helped lift her mood a bit, gestured towards Emiko. "Those gifts from Azumabito seem to be received well."

"I know," she agreed. "Look at her go. I'd have never imagined she was so smart, especially so young."

It was true. At one leg of their trip, Kiyomi had invited a specialist in young education to meet with Emi and really, she was an intelligent little girl, incredibly so - more than either of her parents had imagined. So, she'd been gifted books, puzzles, and toys, all meant to expedite her growth and foster a love for learning, all of which she took to like a fish to water.

It was amazing, really. But it was bittersweet too, because if they hadn't come here, they'd have never known this. Emi would never have had access to such things. And knowing this now, well, it made them consider all that they were missing out on, all that they had already missed out on, simply because of where they had grown up and how isolated they were from the rest of the world.

But for now, they had these gifts, and this time. It would do them well to take advantage of it, which they were.

Levi let his gaze travel back to his wife, only to find that she was already smiling devilishly at him. Oh, this ought to be good.

"What's that look for?"

"I'm still not over that kiss," she teased.

"Tch," he uttered, "whatever. It was just a kiss." She giggled, and the pleasant sound made all his embarrassment worth it - almost.

"You are a changed man, Levi Ackerman," she remarked playfully. "We'll see how long it lasts. Perhaps tomorrow morning I can give you a kiss like that?"

"Don't bet on it," he muttered, deciding that alright, maybe the embarrassment was worth it, if it meant she'd always look at him like that.

—

When he'd asked her to spend the day with him, he hadn't exactly had a plan in mind, and that was partially because he hadn't anticipated her saying yes.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that when he asked, it wasn't exactly a romantic setting, not really. She'd been brushing her teeth after breakfast, Emi sitting on the sink before her and mirroring her movements. She'd looked over at him and her confusion was obvious - actually, both of his girls had looked confused.

But when he'd repeated his request, she had nodded, hurrying to finish brushing so she could spit and wipe her mouth and then smile at him to affirm with a verbal response and a declaration of how excited she was to have a date day.

So after seeing her excitement, even though he had nothing planned, how could he disappoint her and say that? No, he lied and said he had things ready for the day.

In truth, it was when he'd told her to get cleaned up and ready that he hurried to find someone, anyone to help him plan.

Thankfully, he'd chanced upon Onyankopon first, and he was able to scrounge something up quickly after Levi told him what he came up with. With only that to go off of, Onyankopon set off, and Levi returned to the room to get cleaned up, himself.

"What should I wear, Emi? I don't even know where we're going!"

Upon returning to the room, he hadn't anticipated that she would still be deciding on what to wear, nor that she would be modeling outfits for their daughter, but he hurried to close the door behind him and assure her that they weren't going anywhere overtly fancy, but that she should wear what would be comfortable for walking in.

She got into a dress anyway, figuring that she never really had a chance to wear one. It wasn't fancy itself, but one of the casual ones that women wore daily here. She'd fit right in, but she also would put everyone else to shame.

Oh, well. She was taken.

Buckled shoes, a pretty yet casual dress, a sweater on top... It was simple, but when she stood and did a little turn for him, he didn't think he'd ever get tired of looking at her. Not like this, when she was so clearly happier here, burdened with less but even that, he knew, was a facade.

Truth was, she was still worried for the future, because one day they might not ever be able to live like this, not really. But for now, he would try. For tonight, he would help her forget about their past, and stop thinking about their future. Tonight would be for the present, for tonight and tonight alone. He would make sure of it.

Or at least... he'd try his hardest.

To start, they took a short carriage - er, car ride - to the center of town. To the marketplace they returned, and with what little pocket change he had, he determined he would get something pretty for her. Besides dinner, he couldn't imagine being inspired to buy anything else on this trip, anyway.

He knew that even if anything caught her eye, she would not claim she wanted it, because she was so used to putting aside what she wanted for the good of others, for their finances, and for the lack of necessity. Even as a criminal, she wouldn't even steal things that caught her eye. Foro ne thing, she had too big of a heart and for another, well, if she didn't need it, she wouldn't get it. That's just how she was.

Levi glanced sidelong at her as they rode towards the marketplace and as the car rolled to a stop. She was taking all the sights in outside the window with a level of joy that seemed far more natural on her face than the focused, often stressed look he'd see when they were home doing paperwork.

He longed, for a moment, to never see a look like that again. He'd do all the paperwork himself if he had to. Hell, since she'd had their daughter, he hadn't wanted her returning to her duties at all, not even for paperwork for the unnecessary stress it put on her. But it was her choice to return to work, and so who was he to stand in the way of that? So long as she would not return to the fight directly, he would be fine.

When the driver stepped out and opened the door for them, Levi stepped out first. After turning and reaching for her, Amaya took his hand and let him help her down, and even that level of simplicity was, of course, a facade, but one they both willingly let themselves fall into.

Did she need his help? No.

Was he a gentleman? Not really.

But for him, she would put her pride aside and let him help her down.

And for her, he would put his pride aside and dote on her, even publicly.

Down the street they walked together, and he felt a certain level of pride in the way they did so. With her arm looped around his own, and her free hand holding his forearm gently, she was close and remained as such. And when excitement and interest glittered in her eyes, she'd voice her opinions, things like, "oh, that's so pretty", and "goodness, I've never seen anything so intricate."

Despite her interest, she did not drag him to see them, so he took the initiative and led them over each and every time. Did it mean that walking even a single street of the marketplace took longer than if they'd walked right through? Of course.

But as he'd mentioned, he'd do it. For her. Always for her.

It was at one of these stalls, hidden under a dark canopy and illuminated only by a pair of twin candles burning bright on each side of the table, that she laid her eyes upon something that really caught her interest.

It was a pocketwatch.

It was not a piece of jewelry he'd expected her to ooh and aww over, but she did anyway, and the shopkeeper watched as Amaya inspected it as best she could without touching it. Amaya stood up straight then, a reflective sort of smile on her lips and a melancholic glaze filtering her eyes.

"You know," she began, "underground, I bought my father one of these."

"Functional?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "Not at all. The hands were missing, the gears gone, and the glass shattered. "But Caden thought it'd be a good birthday present for him, so we got it."

"Did he like it?"

"He laughed a little," she recalled. "Probably because he knew what it was, and we had no clue. But he kept it in his pocket every single day until he died. Caden drew a picture of our family and that's all that was kept inside."

"Is it the one now on our mantle?"

"That's right," she affirmed. "Doing nothing but collecting dust now I suppose, but back then, El would look at it and smile at the sight of our little family. After their deaths, I would do the same."

"Do you want this one?"

"Oh, no," she answered right away. "Not for me. I've no use for one."

"I'll take it," Levi spoke resolutely, looking at the shopkeeper.

"Levi...?"

He did not answer her. All he did was finalize the transaction, pay the shopkeeper, and pocket the watch. And then they moved on.

—

"I'm not sure if you've realized it by now," Amaya said, smiling at him across the table, "but this is almost like our honeymoon, the one we never got to go on."

"What, you don't consider our little stint hunting titans within Wall Maria our honeymoon?"

"As romantic as that was," she said with a laugh, "no. Not really."

"Shame," Levi lamented teasingly, lifting his glass towards his mouth. Before taking a sip, he pretended to think it over, but he already knew what he was going to say. "Seeing you in action like that reminded me of why I love you. But if you don't feel the same, then..."

"Oh, please," she said, smiling widely. "Though, you have mentioned that you find it hot to see me in action, no?"

"As have you," he reminded her.

"Sure," she agreed. "But honestly, now. You can't really consider that our honeymoon, right?" After taking in the look on his face as he took a sip of his drink, her jaw dropped. "What, really? There's no way."

"There's no way you find having all the brats with us for a trip is more romantic than it just being the two of us," he threw right back.

"You know damn well I don't mean the whole trip," she emphasized, crossing her arms over her chest. "I meant today."

"Uh huh," he uttered, playing at being unconvinced. She scoffed and made to say more when their food arrived. She held her tongue for now, the only words she uttered being those to thank their waiter as he bowed and wished for them to have a good meal.

They ate and for the most part did so in silence. They did, however, cast dubious looks at the diners around them. Whenever a particularly dumb comment was overheard, a knowing look was shared, a smile concealed behind a glass or obscured by a bite of food.

What little conversation they shared during dinner was quiet and rather mindless, more than a bit casual and very frequently meaningless. Rather, they just enjoyed their present company and the meal, warm and exotic as it was, and delicious too, unlike anything they'd ever eaten before.

To think, Levi considered that they used to live in filth. And now, here they were, enjoying a fancy dinner using someone else's money in clothes more expensive than any they'd ever owned, their wedding blands glimmering in the candlelight. She looked so beautiful here, bathed in that light.

It was, he recalled now, the same lighting frequently used underground. All they had to live by was candlelight. The warm, golden light of the fire and the long shadows cast across the room were ones he knew well, but here, it was different.

He couldn't quite pin down why that was, but perhaps it was because there was a certain inward glow about her tonight. And that he could only attribute to her being so in love that it was making her whole body thrum with adoration.

All for him, she would remind him.

But by now, he didn't need to be reminded.

It would be nice, though.

As though reading his mind, when she caught him staring at her, she smiled warmly. "I love you, Levi," she spoke softly. He murmured the words back, and he could feel heat swell up in his chest and overflow into his cheeks, his ears.

He felt so stupid, being so embarrassed, and yet it was welcome.

It was welcome, especially when it made her smile like that, and look away rather bashfully.

Dammit, what he wouldn't give to always see her like this. But he knew all too well that war was coming, and soon. It wasn't a matter of if, but when and who would start it.

He could only hope it would at least wait until they retired, so they wouldn't be brought back into the fighting. But then again... no. he had a duty to fulfill, a promise to keep.

He would kill the Beast Titan for Erwin. But Maya, she... she had no such promise. She could be kept away from the fighting. And-

"What's wrong, my love?"

"Nothing," he said, knowing she wouldn't believe that for even a second, and the look she now wore reflected just that as they sat next to each other, now back in the car and heading for their next destination - the final surprise he had in store for them. "It really is nothing, Maya."

"Mm-hm," she hummed, unconvinced. "Right. You know, just because you call me Maya, it doesn't mean you'll always get what you want."

"What I want right now," he told her, "is for you to relax. I wasn't thinking about anything important."

"That's almost always a lie when you get that look on your face," she said as-a-matter-of-factly. He supposed he shouldn't argue with her. She knew him better than anyone else - even himself.

"Fine," he said, leaning back in his seat. "I was... dammit."

"This is stupid," she said before he could. "I know, I know. Just spill it, darling."

"Erwin would have liked the library," he said after summoning the breath to do so, referring to one of their stops: and that was to visit one of Marley's most incredible landmarks: a grand library larger even than so many of Paradis' buildings.

"Answers to all of the questions he could ever think to ask," she mused. "Yeah, I don't think he'd ever have left." Her eyes found him then, surely and resolutely. "He'd have liked the museum, too. Not for the art, but for the history."

Levi nodded in place of answering with words. Then, "Based on what I know, your father probably would have liked the theater."

"Oh, absolutely," she agreed. "He always had a flair for the dramatics. Hearing that music in a hall that beautiful? He'd have cried."

"He must be where you get it, then, our esteemed actress."

She chuckled warmly, a twinkling little sound that warmed his heart. "Maybe," she considered. "Thinking about it, I think Farlan and Isabel would get into plenty of trouble in the market."

"No doubt about that," Levi said. "Half the shit for sale would have been broken on their first pass through."

She laughed heartily at that, nodding. "Yeah, I think you might be right."

"And... Mason?"

"Hm?"

"What would he have liked?"

"Oh," she said quietly, looking away. It didn't take long for her answer to find her. "The theater, for sure."

"When we were looking for Eren," Levi spoke quietly, "we passed by several street performers. Some with pots and pans, others with only their voices, but none with a guitar."

Amaya kept her eyes averted, and he could tell they were glassy and she was trying not to let her tears fall. But that grief was still so raw, the wound still fresh, the feelings welling up still not clotted or set.

Before the grief could take over, he summoned up his nerve once more to speak something vulnerable, something honest, something that would hopefully help her.

He cleared his throat first, hoping the sound wasn't too abrasive in the otherwise quiet vehicle. "I... I liked the market."

Surprise found her features first, then recollection refocused her gaze and she turned to look at him, clearly surprised. "The market? Really?"

He nodded, already feeling flush creep up his cheeks in anticipation of what he was about to say. "Walking with you like that, like we're normal... It was..."

"It was...?"

"It was nice. Now can it."

Once more, she giggled, but did what she could to hide it behind her hand. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Tch. Yeah, right."

She glanced out the window, then. "Oh, we passed the estate. Are we not going back yet?"

"No," he answered, forgetting his embarrassment for now. "There's one more stop. I don't anticipate you wanting to leave this one for a while, though. We might be there all night."

Something like embarrassment found her own features then as she looked at him incredulously. Realizing how she took his words, his cheeks burned up once more, all at once.

"Not... Not because of something like that, you brat!"

No, it was quite the opposite. Where they were headed was to a romantic spot atop a hill. It would take a short hike to get there, but as Onyankopon said, the view from the top was a gorgeous one, with one of Marley's valleys before them and the endless skies above them.

Onyankopon had went ahead of them this afternoon, leaving a telescope and star chart and plenty of books on how to use said instruments. If he was right, then there was a blanket or two there as well, and some provisions for them to snack on while there.

He knew - from way back when - how much the night sky meant to her. How she longed to see it her entire life, never knowing that in the underground city, but one spot provided a view, though a fragmented one, of the sky. It was to that cave Levi led her, once upon a time.

And now, perhaps she would appreciate something like this - something neither of them had done before - as a way to round out what was, even he had to admit, was like a honeymoon, the one they never got to go on.

It was a long time coming, but if anything on this trip was able to make her smile, he damn well hoped it was this, a night under the moon, looking up at the stars... and with him.