Thank you to the sweet anonymous Tumblr user who sent me this prompt. I'd already done something similar in a different fic but reversed; so it was interesting and fun to explore a proposal this way around. Though it still came out from Levi's POV I don't know how. Anyways, I hope it was what you were after :D

Also, don't ask me how the titans were defeated. I was a vague as possible so as to fit cannon for future readers as best as I could. There are NO manga spoilers here, I can assure you of that. Just fluffy, during- and post-war Rivamika. Feat. the ocean, because it is an AOT shipping staple, after all; and because I'm in Australia where the weather is warming up and I really wanna go to the beach right now, so. Yeah.

Also-also, the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe inspired some of the mood and the title (though thankfully not the plot, I'm not that mean…today) of this entire fic. I've quoted a portion below, but I'd strongly recommend reading the full thing. It's a hauntingly beautiful piece.

Ok, that's enough nerding out from me, let's move on.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we—

Of many far wiser than we—

And neither the angels in Heaven above

Nor the demons down under the sea

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee

~Edgar Allan Poe

Levi wandered along the winding path with Mikasa by his side, the tips of their fingers only inches away from touching. They were dressed as ordinary citizens, and therefore no one looked at them twice as long as they kept their heads down. Levi wasn't entirely sure where they were going, and Mikasa didn't seem like she entirely cared. They were worn and woe-filled, and needed a reprieve from the trauma the past few days had caused.

They settled in their usual place in the old park, under a large apple tree. Come to think of it, Levi had never seen a single apple grow on this particular piece of shrubbery, and therefore had no idea why people called it an apple tree; but regardless of the kind of tree it was, it had served as a sanctuary for him and the other Ackerman for many months now.

Mikasa and Levi had a tradition. After any given mission, they'd fulfil their professional duties (paperwork and such), and then retreat to this place together. Then they'd sit in silence, now free from the "do you want to talk about it"s and the "I know how you feel"s; and find comfort in the familiarity of each other's presence, and the tranquillity of the solitude. This place was ancient – the kind of place that had been there a lot longer than anyone remembered – and yet, it was almost never visited but anyone besides them, being out of the way of the main street and all. So it was the perfect place for the two soldiers to be alone together.

Neither would use the word "couple" to define their relationship – but that's exactly what they were. It all started an age ago, and for the life of them, neither could remember how. It was one of those things that happened as naturally as the grass grew. They had a deep respect and understanding of one another which steadily grew into fondness, then friendship, and then finally, under this very tree, they realised they were in love.

This epiphany didn't lead to crying and kissing, and dramatic music in the background. The stars didn't align that day, and the world didn't cease to spin. Mikasa had been leaning against their tree and reading, and Levi had come to curl up next to her. Usually they would sit in silence, barely interacting; but that day, she'd reached out her hand, and he'd entwined his fingers with hers. No words were actually said at the time, but that was ok; they both just knew.

Today was a day similar to that one. They'd taken their place and were watching the occasional person go by. At one point, a crowd of people passed, led by a woman in a long, white dress, and a man in a matching suit. They weren't particularly expensive-looking outfits, but there was no mistaking their purpose.

Levi watched the way the woman moved, not unlike a bouncing baby kitten. She effervescently bounded here and there, this way and that with her new husband's hand in her own. He watched her like he was looking at the sky for the very first time; and their wedding party followed along behind.

"Do you ever think about it?" Mikasa's voice from by his side was slow, almost trepidatious.

"Think about what?"

She looked over at the cheerful crowd, which had nearly walked right past them by now. "Having a life outside of the titans. Having a home…getting married?"

Assuming by default that she was being hypothetical, Levi shrugged. "Not really. There's no use in imagining things that could never come to pass."

"Never?" Mikasa echoed, and Levi looked over at her.

"Why are you asking this?"

Mikasa shrugged and fell silent, and that was the last Levi heard of it for a while.

XXX

There would be many more afternoons under the apple tree before the topic of marriage came up again. Many more battles in and out of the walls. Many more lives lost; and even more destroyed.

Levi marvelled that, despite the bloodshed it took to bring him here, the water could still run so clear. The ocean was as shining as crystal and the sunset reflected off it beautifully, casting colours across the water that Levi was sure he'd never seen before.

Most of his comrades had retreated to shelter to enjoy a celebratory dinner (everything was a celebratory something these days), but here he remained. His feet were bare and his pantlegs were rolled up so as to not get wet. While his expression was as deadpan as ever, he secretly savoured every feeling around him; the sand between his toes, the saltwater washing over his ankles, the cool breeze in his face.

He knew she was there, of course. He knew she'd walked up behind him, and wasn't at all surprised to feel her take his left hand. Mikasa was as tough as any given titan and he admired that; but moments like these where she softened were precious, and hopefully now they weren't fighting for their lives, a little less rare.

Levi turned only his head to look at her. Some of the Scouts had chosen to stay in uniform for now; but not Mikasa. She wore a simple white top and matching skirt. Appropriate, he thought, as he remembered back to something he read once about white representing birth or some such nonsense. It was as pure as a blank slate, and as symbolic as virgin snow.

The skirt, as well as her hair, danced in the wind. Her grey eyes remained locked on the ground, and her feet were also bare so as to feel the sand better. Though behind him was a view of the sun setting over the ocean, Levi thought that the sight in front of him was far more beautiful.

"I wanted to ask you something," she said quietly. There was no vivacity in her voice; no authority, no spark. It was a soft and simple statement that attracted Levi's undivided attention. He turned the rest of his body to give it to her.

"What?"

She was silent for another few minutes before asking, "Do you remember our apple tree?"

"The apple tree that never grew a single apple." He nodded. "Of course."

Mikasa looked at the sunset behind him, and then at Levi himself. "You said you could never think of a life without titans while it remained impossible."

"I did," he agreed.

"Well…what about now?"

Levi didn't seem to understand what she was getting at, and Mikasa could tell. So carefully, she dropped to one knee right there in the water. The hem of her skirt swirled around as the tide pulled in and out, and she clung to his hand a little tighter.

"I don't know what to do now," she admitted quietly, her voice barely audible above the sound of the sea. "We fought so hard and for so long for this opportunity to live free of the walls, and I want to do it right, but I don't know how. Everyone keeps saying to use this chance to chase all the things I ever wanted but I couldn't have while the titans roamed free. But I already had everything; people I loved, and a home, though it kept getting taken from me. There's only one thing left, Levi, and that's you. Will you- that is, if you- I mean-"

Mikasa was ordinarily so eloquent, and yet she'd always had a hard time expressing her feelings. Levi knew that much. She was an action-driven person, who let the things she did speak for her. The fact that she was out here, in the cold evening air, kneeling before him said it all.

Levi knelt down too, so now they were both on their knees. His clothes would get wet, but that didn't matter. They were probably missed at dinner, but that didn't matter either. It was getting late and would be dark soon; but it wasn't as though they had any reason to fear the dark anymore.

Levi had struggled to figure out how he felt about the whole ordeal. Whether he was relieved that it was over; or sad that so many people had died to make it so; or angry that it ever happened in the first place. All those feelings swirled around inside of him, but he didn't know which to acknowledge first.

Answer: none of them; because now he felt something so much more important. Something that the sunset backdrop paled against, and the joy in the cheering and partying in the distance couldn't measure up to. Something he'd quietly looked forward to, but never expected to be able to fully experience.

"Mikasa." At the sound of her name, she stopped stuttering and looked into his eyes. He saw the relief wash over her as it quickly became apparent that he knew exactly what she wanted to ask. He spoke her name once more just because it was beautiful and then said, "I'd love to marry you."

He didn't try to give his reasons. He didn't make a speech detailing how she was the best thing to ever happen to him; the very thing that gave him the strength to survive these past few years. He didn't tell her that the best moments for him were ones like these, where he could just be with her, even kneeling in cold water, because her very presence made him happy. He didn't declare his undying love and swear to be by her side for all time. It was true – all of it – but like Mikasa, Levi was someone who preferred to express himself in other ways.

So instead, right there in the ocean, he pulled her to him and kissed her, and forgot about everything else. The push-pull of the tide, the hue strewn around them, the sand swirling beneath their knees. There would be plenty of time to appreciate those things later. For now, Levi put his arms around his new fiancée and let the waves wash away their old lives so they could begin anew together.