Author's note: yup, another one! I swear I'm going to start writing for the series I have going, I just needed to brush up on my actual writing skills since I haven't written in over 9 months or something. Maybe more. Another short one shot for you guys before I dive back into finishing up those other series. xoxo thanks for all the patience. this is mildly edited but not a lot. I might come back and fix a few things. but hopefully ya'll like it

Fun fact: OOC Levi...or maybe not? I don't know. You decide lol have fun! no jk, he def is super OOC. but sometimes that's fun too. It's called fanfiction for a reassssooonn.

And I was listening to music while writing this...and somehow the song above felt appropriate. Listen to it after or before...or not at all. But after is best. I won't be mad. But yeah...

***

Word Count: 3793

Wordless music played over the din outside as you stared out the passenger window at the passing scenery. Everything that flew by was green beyond imagination, teeming with life without humanity's destructive touch. You were glad to see that there were still places left on the earth that were far beyond human life.

In the driver's seat next to you was Levi, who currently held your hand lightly while driving with the other, eyes fixed on the open road before you.

"So...are you gonna tell me where we're going, babe?" you asked, stroking the back of his hand with your thumb absently.

Your boyfriend of four years glanced at you, seeing you sit up a bit in hope. "Christ, (f/n). My answer is not going to change. Even if you ask me ten more times, it's still no."

You exhaled sharply upon hearing his answer, feigning an annoyed expression. "Since when are you big on surprises?" you grumbled, slumping back in the seat.

At nine that morning, Levi had woken you up with breakfast. You had been taken aback by the gesture, but barely managed to get your appreciation out due to the relatively early hour for the weekend. Once you had your fill of coffee and food, he had laid out a casual white dress and matching strappy heels on the bed next to you. You stared at it with confusion; you did not previously own this dress and deduced he must have bought it for you.

"I'm taking you somewhere special today," Levi had said. His tone had been firm, but his gaze was soft. "Can you be ready by one?"

You had agreed and inquired as to where he was taking you that afternoon but he flat ignored your question. Instead of answering, he kissed your cheek lightly and took away your breakfast tray of empty dishes to wash.

Despite being ignored completely, you couldn't help but grin to yourself. It wasn't often Levi did anything romantic, as he was not that type of man. Not that you minded, but you were excited to see how the day panned out. For the remainder of the day, before you decided to get ready to leave in your nice dress, you spent your time reading in bed while Levi worked away on his laptop next to you.

However, you did not expect yourself to be sitting in the car for the better part of two hours, driving across a two lane highway surrounded by woodlands and distant mountains. You were sure there was a nearby town, but from the looks of it, you seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Furthermore, when you had left your little home together, you did not expect him to be dressed as nicely as he was. Sure, he had a casual suit instead of a dress suit, but it was a suit nonetheless.

"We're almost there, sweetheart..." said Levi presently. You sat up, having been idly scrolling through your phone on Instagram to pass your boredom. With somewhat frantic eyes, you searched the surroundings but there was not much to indicate that you were reaching any sort of destination. You furrowed your brows, confused but remained silent on the subject; you resolved to just trust Levi's intentions, whatever they may be.

After another ten minutes of driving, you saw what looked to be an entrance to a hiking trail and some kind of venue of some sort. There were a couple other cars in the lot but your confusion only grew at the sight of the large sign.

"Please do not tell me we are hiking..." you said, shooting Levi a steely gaze. "You realize I'm in three inch heels, right? Shoes you told me to wear."

"Tch." Levi raised an eyebrow at you. "I'm offended you think I'm that much of an idiot."

He turned off the ignition of the car and hurried around the front to open your door while you took a quick moment to check your make up in the visor mirror. Levi opened the door for you and offered a hand for you to step out.

The weather was perfect. The sun was past its peak so it was not as hot as it was earlier in the day. It was warm enough that you did not need outerwear to cover your bare arms but cool enough that you were not worried about sweat running down your back in less than a half hour.

Levi led you by the hand towards the entrance to what you assumed was the hiking trail. You instantly shot him a wary look at this, but he just shook his head.

"Will you just trust me?" he said. You could not help but notice a soft smile at his lips; you wondered what he was so elated about because there were only a couple times that he did not smile in the car.

You saw a wooden path leading into the dense forest just ahead of you.

"...what...are you up to, Levi?" you asked as he led you towards it.

Levi hesitated for a moment while he took in the surrounding trees. "...How long have we been together, (F/n)?"

"A little over four years," you replied, eyebrow raised. You knew that he knew this already, so you were curious as to why he posed the question.

"Yes." His grip on your hand tightened slightly. "Four years.... The best four years I honestly have ever had. I hope you know that."

You beamed at him, warmth radiating from your heart to the tips of your fingers.

"Before you, I was content to be alone. I was perfectly fine with that," he continued, following the pathway slowly. "How you managed to get me to fall in love with you remains a mystery."

A brief chuckle escaped your lips at this; you had no idea how you managed it either. He had been just been your bull-headed, foul mouthed co-worker that you occasionally grabbed drinks with after work before you started dating. Something about him always intrigued you, but you had always thought he was a no nonsense, no relationship kind of man.

Four years later, you were more in love with him than you could have imagined. After two years of dating, he asked you to move in with him, as your lease on your apartment had been finished. By three years, you both were in the midst of marriage talks and thought it best to do so when both of your work schedules calmed down.

"Obviously, my intense obsession with video games and anime was insanely attractive," you joked. Levi rolled his eyes at this.

"No. Absolutely not."

You laughed lightly again but squeezed his hand for him to continue.

"I did not need you in my life," said Levi, "...but somehow you managed to fill a hole in my heart that I did not even know I had."

Your eyes burned; happy tears threatened to spill over your cheeks but you fought them back as best you could.

The path looked as though it led into a meadow up ahead, though it was hard to tell for certain through the density of the trees surrounding it. Levi's pace slowed to a stop he turned to face you, taking your hands in his.

"Some time ago, you told me that you did not want a big wedding," said Levi, eyes gazing affectionately into yours. You nodded, remembering the conversation vividly; he had been surprised by your declaration. "When I asked you why, you told me it was because you felt that the exchange of vows was meant to be personal and intimate. Only meant for each other and not for the rest of the world to see.

"You said that marriage was only two people committing to each other for rest of their lives, not to prove it to others," he continued. "And prior to that conversation...I never had an opinion on what I wanted my wedding to look like...because I always assumed I would never marry."

Somehow in your heart, you knew where this was going. Your stomach seized painfully at the realization and it was harder for you to hold back your tears.

Levi noticed. "Oi!" he said in mock annoyance. "Don't cry, dammit. You're going ruin that makeup you so painstakingly took forever to put on."

You burst out laughing as Levi took out some pre-planned tissue from his suit pocket. "Wow, you're so prepared," you said as you dabbed your eyes.

"You fuckin' cry over everything so it was honestly a no brainer," Levi chuckled, waiting for you to gather yourself together.

"...so what are you saying?" you said, taking his hands in yours again. "Are you proposing, or what?"

"I'm saying I want to marry you," said Levi, the sincerity evident in his tone. Again, you beat back tears. "Right now...if you'll have me."

"Right now?" you gasped, putting a hand over your mouth. You had truly thought all of this had been leading up to him proposing, not elopement. More realization hit you. "Oh my god, that's why you had me dress in white!"

Levi smirked, not surprised that you made that connection in the amount of time that you did.

You stopped abruptly. "Did you ask my-?"

"I already talked to your father several months ago, (f/n)," cut in Levi gently. He reached to your face to cup your warm cheek. "He gave me his blessing whole heartedly."

It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep from crying out of joy. "O-of course I'll have you, Levi!" you said, playfully pounding your fist against his chest. "Oh my gosh...I can't believe this is happening."

Instead of replying, Levi swept some of your hair from your eyes and took your hand once more. Your mind raced; you couldn't believe you were about to elope but with only another thought, you knew that this man was the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. You truly believed that you were soulmates.

Levi always did say you brought out the best in him, but truth be told, you always felt that he brought out your best side the most. Before him, you were unsure and lacked confidence and though you did not need him in your life, per se, him being in it has only helped you grow in self-esteem. With his strange ways of conveying love to you, despite being a bit too harsh, he always encouraged you to be yourself. He always lent you strength in your times of weakness.

Leading you towards the edge of the trees, you could make out two figures standing in the meadow, waiting patiently. You had little idea of who they could be, but you could assume that the older man was the marriage officiant and the younger man was clearly the photographer.

You stepped out into the vast meadow, taking in your surroundings with awe. "How long have you been planning this?" you said quietly, tightening your grip on Levi's hand.

"Eight months," he replied immediately. "Finding a private place, an officiant...the photographer - takes time, you know."

He glanced at you and allowed himself to smirk. "If it wasn't perfect, you'd bitch at me for it later."

You scoffed but still kept a smile. "If anyone is about perfection, it's you."

Finally, you reached the middle of the meadow and approached the two men. They shook hands with Levi, who then introduced you to them. After you briefly shook their hands as well, they congratulated you on your soon to be marriage.

The young photographer already was backing away through the grass to find a good angle and lighting for his pictures when the officiant asked you and Levi to take each other's hands.

"Ready?" asked Levi with a surprisingly gentle smile.

"Y-yes!" At this point, your sheer elation and excitement were useless to contain. Levi had not seen you so happy in his life.

This was it. This was the culmination of every strong feeling he ever held for you, all of it threatening to break loose at this single moment in time. You and him.

With eyes focused solely on each other, the officiant began to speak in a low and affable tone. "You two stand before each other today with a single purpose in mind," he began. "Today is the pinnacle of your love for one another and in that love you prove it only to yourselves, and not to the rest of the world. Two people who wish to commit themselves to each other eternally, for your love is only designed for the other...not designed to convince anyone else that it is true."

You took a quiet breath, feeling the onset of more tears. Your vision blurred as you gazed into Levi's dark eyes, attempting to convey all that you felt in this moment with him with a single look.

"Despite the differences you have with each other," the officiant continued, "love is what you continue to share. Your ability to love is truly the best aspect of humanity...it is the great unifier, the universal truth...what gets you out of bed every day and gives you hope for a bright future.

"But now you are here, in this moment. This is a moment to pause, to think back on all the moments that brought you to this point. The chapters of your life that were disappointing and upsetting and the chapters that were exciting and filled with adventure. And all the moments of everyday life in between. Remember those moments, as you will have so many more in your walk of life together.

"Because remember, love is not only an experience, or a feeling, but it's a choice. There will be days when (f/n) drives you insane-"

"You mean every day?" cut in Levi quietly. You laughed lightly at this while the officiant kept speaking.

"-and there will be many, many moments in life when Levi will anger you to no end, (f/n)."

Your expression turned into a wry smile, knowing full well that Levi willfully liked to anger you just for the fun of it sometimes.

"Love is meant to be felt," said the officiant, "but it always is a choice. A choice to stay together and fight through all the times that were good and bad."

There was the quiet sound of clicking, the photographer having been circling around the three of you and taking pictures every so often. Admittedly, it was mildly distracting in the serenity of that meadow, but you ignored it.

"You fell in love by chance, but today it's because of choice that you're standing here right now. You are choosing each other," the officiant said. "You're choosing someone who lifts you up, who enhances you, who makes you laugh, who makes you think, who challenges you...but most of all, who makes you happy. You are about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep. You are going to vow to care for one another, to stand up for one another, to find happiness in the other. You will be a team...a unit, facing the challenges of the world head on. Together."

The older gentleman turned to Levi with a smile. "Please say to (f/n) your intentions are and what promises you will undoubtedly keep," he said.

Levi inhaled deeply, returning his gaze to you. "I, Levi, take you, (f/n), to be my beloved wife. I promise you that I will protect you from all the hurts of this world, both physically and emotionally. I pledge to you today to love you as you are, and find new ways to fall in love with you, regardless of the time that passes. I promise to listen to you when you're upset, be your anchor in the storm, to always consider your thoughts and feelings in any decisions I make, to lift you up when you are weak, and seek out adventures with you."

He paused. "And all that other sappy ass, fuckin' bullshit that I can't remember but, yes. I promise to love you, for my love for you is eternal....blah blah blah."

You had burst out laughing in the midst of tears, unsurprised that he ended his speech so abrasively but you could see that Levi was blushing a little from the embarrassment of voicing his deepest feelings. Typical. The officiant however, was staring blankly at Levi in utter shock before he shook his head to move on.

"And what do you pledge in return to Levi, (f/n)?" he asked, wary of your response and if it would be as ridiculous as Levi's turned out to be.

You grinned, a stray tear streaking your cheek. Levi dabbed it away with a tissue before you spoke. "I, (f/n), choose you, Levi, for the rest of my days as my cherished husband. I swear to you my respect and loyalty, and to care for your needs when you unable to carry them yourself. I promise to trust you and your judgement and to build a happy home with you. I promise to love you unconditionally, to never force you to be someone you are not. I pledge to you my heart and soul, my body and mind, and to always be yours."

The officiant nodded, relieved that you did not end it strangely and began to open his mouth.

"Wait, wait!" you cut in suddenly, remembering something important. "And I promise you I will always attempt, key word there, to keep our house as spotless as humanly possible! Which, you know, is difficult with your damn standards."

Levi snorted but a smirk was stuck at his lips. "I was worried you would forget that."

"Shut up," you said with a laugh.

The marriage officiant did his best not to appear confused once again by the strange vows but resolved to keep moving through the ceremony.

"Do you, Levi and (f/n), vow to be each other's partners from this day forward? Do you vow to share your happiest moments together, to bring out the best in each other, and to love each other indefinitely - for the rest of your lifetime and into eternity beyond?"

You and Levi exchanged a soft glance before returning your gazes at the officiant.

"We do," the both of you said in unison.

The man nodded, his gentle grin reappearing before he continued on. "You have chosen to wear rings as a reminder of this promise that you have made to each other," he said, prompting Levi to reach into his suit pocket and pull out two simple rings. "It is often said that wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning or end. But I disagree; these rings had a beginning. They were once stones and metal, deep in the earth and formed long ago. And by lucky happenings, someone dug them up, liquefied the metal and shaped the stones. Molded and shaped, cooled and polished. The raw elements turned beautiful.

"Love is just like that. It starts from humble beginnings, and through choice and effort, two imperfect beings shape into something far more extraordinary. It's a process of creating something beautiful out of something that wasn't ever expected to be. So remember, when you look at these rings throughout your lifetime together, it's there to remind you that you chose each other, through the good and bad - that you've created something beautiful from nothing. The rings will remind you of this moment today when you vowed your lives together."

The officiant paused, gesturing for Levi to place the ring he had bought for you upon your left ring finger. In silence, you did the same for him, internally wondering when he had bought these rings without your knowledge

"May your marriage be full of excitement and love. May you want each other, but not out of lack. May you need each other, but not out of weakness. May you ignore the small faults of the other, but praise each other endlessly," the man paused once more. "You may now kiss your bride, Levi."

"Christ, finally," Levi groaned just before pulling you into a deep kiss.

The photographer's camera practically went haywire as you kissed Levi back, but it was easy to forget about everything that was happening around you and fall deeper into this moment. Everything you've ever felt for this man bloomed from your chest and you could only hope he could feel it deep within his soul too.

Levi pulled away after another intense moment, cupping your face gently in his hands and searching your eyes. You gripped the sides of his suit, tears streaking your cheeks and you laughed, having no idea what you could possibly say in this moment of euphoria.

"I love you," he whispered, running a hand through your hair.

"I love you," you replied before you pressed your lips against his quickly.

Levi grinned and it caught you by surprise. For the first time in your life, he actually let himself smile as bright as he could...with nothing held back. It made your heart skip a beat, and you hoped the photographer didn't miss it because you knew it be a long time before you saw that expression again.

"Do you know the best part about this is?" he asked, still beaming at you.

You shook your head, still dumbfounded by that smile. Replying would be difficult for you to manage.

Levi leaned in close to your ear so only you could hear what he would say.

"You're now officially, Mrs. (F/n) Ackerman," he whispered. "...that way, I can say I actually claimed you."

Once you heard that, you had to laugh again and lightly pounded your fist on his shoulder. "I always was yours, Levi."

Always.