He was getting married.

No matter how many times Levi turned those words over in his head, he still couldn't believe them. Never in his life did he ever imagine that he'd ever be getting married. At the most, if people's tongues started wagging, he figured he might try and push down his inverted desires and get married to a woman, have a family, that sort of thing so that he could portray a mask of normalcy. But that would only be if he really had to. In truth he had planned on staying alone forever so that he wouldn't have to put himself through that, knowing he'd never be able to be happy with a woman, and he wouldn't be able to get married to a man.

He was still absolutely blown away that he was, in fact, defying all logic and all the hopes his younger self had had. He was not only getting married, but to a man, a wonderful man that he loved with his whole heart. Alright, it wouldn't be in an actual church and no one in Eren's family would see it, but their friends at the pub would. And at the moment, they were closer to Levi and more accepting than anyone in his or Eren's family ever would be. So maybe it was okay that they were the only ones who would be there to witness it.

He and Eren hadn't wanted to waste any time, since Eren's father was pushing for him to get married within a couple months. And oh, his poor boy, he felt so awful for him. Yes, he was completely focused on his and Levi's upcoming wedding, putting in a special order for rings for the two of them, but he was also forced to focus on forming a relationship with this woman Grisha had picked out for him.

Levi had met Eren's bride to be, Emma quite a few times in just a few short weeks, on account of he kept bringing her back to his home as many times as he went and visited her at hers. Every time he saw her, he had to remind himself that she was innocent in this whole mess, that she had no idea of what was really going on between him and Eren. There was no reason to hate her or be jealous. And really, she was a very nice girl. Levi was introduced as Eren's good friend, so she was of course determined to get along with him. She was always nice and polite, baking for them and sharing with him and Mikasa. She never had a bad thing to say about anyone, and clearly the more time she spent with Eren, the more she saw what Levi already knew, that he was a wonderful young man with a huge heart and an altruistic nature. She was also quite pretty with her auburn hair and freckles, only made prettier by just how good her heart was, and how soft spoken she was. She loved Eren's dogs and let them crawl all in her lap and play in her skirts. Really, if Levi had to pick a woman for Eren to be with, he might have picked her too.

But knowing that she was so kind to his boy didn't make it any easier to watch them walk around the gardens, arm in arm, chatting amiably. The same gardens that Eren had confessed his love to him in. Or to see them giggling over lunch, or to see her snuggling up to him on the couch while he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Or, worst of all, to hear her say to Eren that she was falling in love with him, and then to hear him reply back, "I'm falling in love with you too."

Levi told himself that it had to be this way, that Eren didn't really love her. He was doing this to survive, to protect Levi. He had to stop being ridiculous, to stamp down those feelings of jealousy whenever they rose up, because they were unfounded and weren't doing anyone any good.

There was one bright spot after all these occasions spent with Emma though. Every time Eren came home from them, he would make a beeline for Levi, push him into a dark corner or closet, or even into one of their rooms, and the second they were out of sight or earshot of anyone else, he would pull Levi in for a desperate kiss, holding him as close as he possibly could. And Levi would kiss back with his whole body, wanting all of Eren all at once, frantically trying to reclaim his boy for himself.

"Oh thank God you're here," Eren breathed against his neck. "Please, put your hands on me. I need to replace her touch with yours. I'm so sorry I have to do this to you. It kills me to show affection to someone else, you know. I love you so much, Doll."

And Levi would arch into the touch, eagerly doing as he was asked, letting his hands roam all over Eren's body. He knew that this was the real Eren, this one that loved him, rather than the one who told Emma that he loved her. He knew that, and yet having these physical reminders and hearing his words were crucial for his sanity. His heart felt like it was the verge of breaking every day, and only Eren could keep it together.

Of course Eren loved him. They were going to get married before he and Emma were going to.

So, once the rings were finally ready, they set the marriage for a day that Eren would be free from any obligations towards his fiancé so he could focus his entire attention on his Doll. He must have been feeling extra guilty lately, because that entire day before the wedding, he was so very affectionate towards Levi, kissing him and holding him and nuzzling him like an overly zealous cat. Every time he could, he whispered words of love and devotion against his lips or his skin, telling him how excited he was to tie himself to Levi forever.

"It's going to be a beautiful wedding," Eren promised.

"It will be as long as Hanji isn't in charge of the decorating again," he agreed.

Hanji was in charge of the decorating again. But this time it was clear there was more time for the preparation. So, when Levi got a peek at the pub's back room, where they usually met anyway and where Erwin and Armin got married, he could see that most of the decorations matched. They were a combination of green and gray with some white interspersed, green for Eren, gray for Levi, and white for the wedding itself. He could see a little cake that he was told Petra had baked, and it was so cute that he couldn't stand it. However, he wasn't allowed to look at it for too long, as he was whisked to a back bathroom by Hanji.

"I'm here to help you change," she explained quickly. "I went ahead and chose this suit from your closet so it'd be a surprise for Eren. Chose a suit for him too." She thrust a suit out towards him, one that Levi swore he hadn't seen before. Where did she even find this?

"You creep," he said, though he was only half-joking.

She insisted, "You'll thank me later when Eren's jaw drops when you walk down that aisle."

He sighed with exacerbation, taking the offered suit. "Just turn around while I change, will you?"

"Oh come on, we're all men here," she teased. "I'm just a better man because when I get kicked in the cock lane it doesn't hurt."

"Yeah, but if I punched you in the face you would bleed the same way a man would."

Hanji snickered, but did as she was asked, turning around and facing the opposite wall. Her job now it seemed was to watch the door to make sure that Eren didn't try and sneak in for a peek at his future beau's lovely outfit, and to catch the bits of discarded clothing that Levi threw at her.

And, of course, to act as a heater for Levi's cold feet.

"Why am I even bothering though, Hanji?" he was muttering. "No one will know that we're married except for all of us here. It won't stop Eren's actual wedding. It won't stop the pain that we're both going to have to go through."

She sighed. It had broken her heart when she heard that Eren was engaged to marry a woman, but she wasn't surprised, of course. She knew Levi was hurting a lot more than she was. Hanji thought about it for a minute, before saying, "I can't say I know exactly how you feel, but I can give advice based on what I've seen the other men and women going through here. That pain will become a part of normal, everyday life, and soon enough, you'll learn how to cope with it until it fades. You just learn how to deal with this new part of your life, and you'll develop a new routine. You already know that Eren is doing this for survival, so you're learning how to get rid of your jealousy, and accepting your role as the 'side lover.' But as long as you remember that Eren loves you enough to do what he's doing for you, then it'll be okay."

Levi's shoulders rose and fell with a sigh. He knew she was right. It was going to hurt, and almost nothing in the world was going to make it better, except for Eren's reassurance that he loved him. But if he made him tell him that too much, then he might be seen as too needy or clingy. He had to get ahold of himself if this was going to work in any way. He had to trust that Eren loved him and only him.

Luckily for him, trusting Eren was something he was very good at. And he knew that all he could do was take it one day at a time, that every day it would get easier. As long as he was the one that Eren returned to at the end of the day, he wouldn't complain.

"Well, I think I'm good," he said after a minute.

Hanji turned around, and pressed a hand over her chest when she saw what he looked like. She had picked out a dark gray suit for him, one with bright, white gold buttons. The vest underneath the suit was black, hugging his torso nicely, and so was the tie. In his pocket already was the silver watch that Eren had given him, the chain sparkling at his hip. He was even given a pair of black gloves that stopped right before his wrists, like the riding gloves Eren had. They were tight, but allowed him to grip things with no problem. He stood there awkwardly, looking down at himself so that he didn't have to look at Hanji's watery eyes, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Aren't you the most precious, handsome thing I ever did see," she gushed. "My baby has grown up and is getting married to the man of his dreams. I'm so proud of you."

She crossed the distance between them and hugged him tightly, so tightly that he swore he could feel his ribs cracking and his feet leaving the ground as she lifted him up. He released a strangled groan and wheezed, "Alright, alright. You're going to wrinkle my suit, you big oaf. Put me down."

Hanji complied, smoothing down his suit and fixing his tie. To his utter horror, she also licked her palm and flattened down his hair. The second her hand touched his head, he snarled and zipped out from underneath her palm, batting it away. She laughed, and at that moment, she heard the piano keys clanging a few times, which was meant to both quiet everyone in the room down and serve as a signal for Levi that the wedding was going to start soon. His heart began to hammer, and his palms went clammy. He looked up at Hanji, searching for reassurance, and thankfully she gave it to him.

"You'll be fine," she said gently. "If I could make it through my wedding, this will be a piece of cake for you. And then when it's over you can have some of the actual cake my lovely wife made. And you better like it or I'll shove the gramophone in the parlor over your head and make you wear it home."

Well then. He didn't have anything to say about that. But he was sure he was going to love it. So, he let Hanji guide him towards the doors into the back room, both of them waiting for the signal. Hanji offered him one last look of reassurance, before the wedding march started.

Levi's throat went dry, but he was actually oddly calm, and he only became calmer when the doors were opened by Connie and Sasha. Their smiling faces and Sasha's giggling was a speck of normalcy amidst the chaos in his heart. So were all the happy faces of all their friends, all sitting in their leather chairs and couches, all turned towards the front of the room. A few long carpets were laid one in front of the other to create a path towards a makeshift archway. There were a couple bridesmaids, Petra, Annie, Christa and Ymir, on one side of the archway, all of them holding one of Eren's beloved Westies instead of flowers. Jean, Marco, Eld, Gunter and Auruo were on the other side as groomsmen. And of course standing there waiting for him was Eren, holding Prince on his leash.

Oh, his boy was breathtaking. He was always breathtaking to Levi of course, but this time, he was even more so than usual. His suit was white, something Levi had seen only rarely, and it looked absolutely amazing on him. His waistcoat underneath it was a pale pink with some embroidery, while his buttons were silver. Even Prince had a cute little bowtie on his collar, and when he saw Levi at the end of the hallway, his tail began wagging and he stood up from his sitting position. His excitement was only matched by Eren's, whose eyes lit up in the same fashion as the dog's. Even from there, he could see a light, pretty flush on his face as his eyes roamed up and down Levi's body, clearly approving. Of course, he was having the same thoughts about him that Levi was having about Eren.

Heartbreakingly beautiful.

He had to remind himself that he had to walk towards him, that he couldn't just keep standing there and staring at him, as much as he could sit there and do that forever. Hanji pulled him forward gently, and he followed her willingly. They were walking too slowly and yet far too fast all at once. It was so surreal; sound seemed to be muffled, he could barely feel Hanji's arm in his, and his vision narrowed completely so that all he could see was his boy. He felt practically sick with elation. What kind of expression was he making? Was it completely ridiculous? Why was he not saying anything to him? Should he say something at all? Was he ever going to make it to-

Oh God he was already there, standing front of Eren. When had that happened? He must have blacked out for a minute. The boy was smiling down at him, brighter than the sun. His hair had been pulled back into a low ponytail, all slick and smooth, so unusual for him. He usually just let it hang wild around his face. He was trying hard to look nice for him and it was so cute. He took Levi's hands and held them between them, while Hanji scooted around and stood under the archway so she could officiate the ceremony. She spared a look to Petra, who was holding Malcolm, and took his paw, making it so that he waved at her. Hanji smiled in response, and began.

It was the standard, "We are gathered here today," speech, and truth be told neither Eren nor Levi heard most of it. Eren was too fixated on his partner and holding Prince in place to really listen. His dog kept jumping up between them, wanting attention, until Levi finally picked him up held him to his chest. Once there, the dog calmed down and settled in, panting as he looked at everyone in the room. People cooed over how cute he was and how obviously happy he was to be there.

It wasn't until Hanji prompted Eren to bring out the rings that Levi snapped back to himself. He had to admit, he was curious as to how the boy could possibly have altered the rings in any way. He certainly didn't have to; as far as he knew they were just plain bands, and he knew Levi would have been fine with that. So what could he have possible added to them?

He got his answer when Eren pulled the rings out of his breast pocket, both of them a burnished gold attached to very thin silver chains. He gave one to Levi, and he knew that this was the one he was meant to give to Eren in turn. However, upon looking closer at the ring, he noticed that there was something engraved on the inside of the ring. Squinting his eyes, he read it.

And then froze in place when he realized what it said.

Once upon a dream.

He gasped quietly, so quietly that only Eren and Prince heard him, the latter turning his head toward him and licking his nose at the sound. Eren grinned hugely when he saw his reaction. When Hanji finished speaking, he carefully took his ring, and instead of putting it on his finger, he put it over his neck.

"I, um, I figured rings on chains would be more suited for our needs," Eren began awkwardly. "That is, we obviously wouldn't be able to wear them on our fingers. I wish we could. I wish we could show our love to everyone in the world. But I figured if we wore them around our necks, we could still wear them everywhere under our clothes, and at least we would know they're there. And every time we look at them, we'll remember how much we love each other."

He took a deep breath, and continued, looking Levi right in the eye, "And I mean that, Levi. I love you, more than anything in the world. I know things for us from here on out aren't going to be easy, but I want you to remember that I'll be loyal to you and love you first, as long as we live. You were the one who gave life to my art, who convinced me to follow my true passion and to do whatever makes me happy. And I mean it when I say this is the happiest I've been in years. Ever since my mom passed away, I've been miserable. And the night I met you, ever since then, I've been able to see the light again. I've been able to look at each new sunrise and wake up most mornings excited about what I'm going to do that day, how I'm going to further my career, and how I'm going to show you that I love you. In spite of my worries and insecurities, my bad days and my outbursts, by some miracle you've stayed by my side and told me that you love me back. You've become my Doll, my prince, my Snow White and so much more. You told me once that you felt like you met me once upon a dream years before we met, and I feel the same way. So I can't wait to keep living out our dreams together, until the day we move onto the next world."

At the end of his speech, Levi was crying freely, wiping his tears in Prince's hair and sniffling hard. Eren really was going to break his heart and send him to an early grave with declarations like these. He knew his boy had told him things like this before, and he knew he didn't lie to him, but he supposed it took on a whole new meaning when he said these things in front of their friends. That was the moment he figured it out.

He didn't have anything to worry about.

It didn't matter what happened from here on out. No matter what Eren and Emma did together, Eren had chosen Levi first, and would be loyal to him first. He was marrying Levi because he chose him, but he was marrying this girl because his father had chosen him, and that made a world of difference. One way or another, things were going to be okay.

Oh no. Now it was his turn to give Eren his ring.

Levi felt cold all over, and his legs began to shake. This was silly though; it was just Eren. Whatever he said, no matter how stupid it was, his boy would love it, or laugh with him about it. He was just talking to his best friend, that was all. Prince seemed to agree with him, because he turned again in Levi's hold and began kissing his face, trying to encourage him. So, holding his dog with one hand, with the other he draped the chain over Eren's head, his boy having to bend over a bit while Levi stood up on his toes. The older man stepped a bit closer to him, swallowed hard, and then began his speech.

"Shit, I have no idea how to begin." He blushed to the roots of his hair. "Well that was a terrible start."

A few of their friends laughed, and for some reason, that made him feel better. That's right, their friends. It was okay. He was just saying this stuff in front of their friends. It didn't matter if he made a fool of himself now, because he often made a fool of himself in front of them. So, he kept going.

"Well, anyway. I guess I could go on and on about all the things you've done for me since I've met you, but you already know. You already know what a sad case I was when you first found me. I never left home, didn't even have any motivation to go out and make friends. My story was trapped in my head and I didn't have a hope of putting it down on paper. I had almost no one and was going nowhere, and I didn't even want to admit back then that I was an invert. I was scared of who I was, and that's a horrible situation to be in. Then you came along, with your smile and your dogs and childish ambitions and thoughts. Who knew that that was exactly what I needed? Heh, if someone had told me a year ago that the love of my life was going to be not only a man, but a man who squealed like a child whenever he saw the circus was in town, who got me to socialize with all sorts of individuals who engaged in all kinds of scandalous behaviors and who told me that not only would I write my book but that it had promise of getting published, I would have slapped them in the face and told them to check themselves into a mental institution. I just could never imagine me being in love, let alone with someone like that. I don't think you've changed me Eren, but you've definitely brought out the best parts of me, parts I didn't even know existed. When I'm with you, I feel warm, I smile, and I'm beyond happy, all impossible things. You're an absolute miracle worker, Eren Jaeger. No matter how impossible the things you tell me we're going to do seem to be, you always find a way to make them happen. You're my own personal fairytale, my dream, and my Aurora. I love you more than words can say, and no matter what, I'll remain loyal to you and live for you. I can't wait to see where life takes us."

He could believe he had said so much. Where had that even come from? The only explanation he had was from his heart. With shaking hands, he put the chain over Eren's neck, the boy accepting it with a giant smile. He practically wiggled in place, anticipating what Hanji was going to have them do next, already so excited he could barely stand it.

"I now pronounce you husband and husband," she said happily, taking a step back. "Go ahead and kiss your beau, Eren, before you burst a blood vessel."

Well he didn't need to be told twice. He practically lunged forward, taking Levi's face in his hands and kissing him hard. Levi kissed him back, keeping his hold on Prince, who was practically smushed between their chests. Everyone clapped, some of them wolf whistling at just how enthusiastic the kiss was, Eren almost pushing Levi backward, only stopping himself so that he didn't drop his dog. At all the noise, Eren's other dogs began barking, wondering where the fire was. It made the bridesmaids who were holding them laugh and struggle to keep their grip on them.

It wasn't a big wedding, and it would never be officially recognized. Eren almost knocked Levi backward and Levi had almost thrown up standing up there so many times. But it was beyond perfect, and when the older man looked deep inside, he knew he wouldn't have had it any other way.

000

The second time Eren got married, Levi was present as well.

It was about a month afterwards, Grisha of course pushing them to do so, to fix what he saw as a "problem" as quickly as possible. If only Levi could tell him it was far too late for that. Even if they hadn't slept together several times before they got married, they certainly had a passionate wedding night. A wedding night that had involved lots of candles, a plush comforter, more leather restraints, and Levi coming multiple times in a row. He had had to have a cloth shoved in his mouth because he had been screaming and crying so much from the sheer pleasure of it all, and Eren had come just from pleasuring him without even being touched.

Eren had told Levi that he didn't have to be at his wedding if he didn't want to. He had said, "I don't want to put you through that. I know how much it's going to hurt you, because it's going to hurt me just as bad."

But to his surprise, Levi had just shaken his head, placed a hand on his chest, and said, "I'd rather be there with you for that very reason. If you were hurting by yourself, I couldn't bear that. I made a promise when you gave me this ring that I'd be with you in good times and in bad, and I'm not going to break that promise. Besides, wouldn't it look odd if the groom's best friend wasn't at his wedding? Everyone might be suspicious, and people are becoming suspicious enough."

He supposed he was right about that, as much as he hated to admit it. He had sighed, and said, slightly defeated. "Well, I suppose then since you can't be my groom again, I'll put you as close to me as I can and make you my best man."

Levi figured that was about the most they could hope for. So, he accepted, and added with a slight laugh, "Too bad you can't have your dogs at this wedding too. They're much cuter than bouquets."

Eren had agreed wholeheartedly.

On his second wedding day, Levi had thought that he looked just as beautiful as he had on his first. He wore a different suit this time though. Levi wore the same one, dressing for his boy, as always. As Eren waited for his new bride in front of the church, he chanced a quick glance at his best man, and saw that he once again had his watch in his pocket. And though he was dressed up to neck, Eren could still see the glint of his chain when he moved certain ways. As he waited for his bride, he placed a hand over his chest, right where his own ring lay. And Levi knew he was telling him without words that he loved him, right in the face of his own family, and the woman he was being forced to marry. But it was disguised as the gesture of a man who was moved so much by the beauty of his future wife that he had to keep his heart inside his chest.

Once again, Eren took the hands of the person across from him while a priest spoke over them, tying the two of them together for life. And once more, Levi didn't listen to a word, because though this wedding was official, it didn't mean anything. Eren was right; it was null, because his boy was already married.

He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, placing his hand over his heart as well, feeling the solid warmth of the ring against his breast. He told himself once again; Grisha chose Emma, but Eren chose him.

And when he kissed her to cheers and clapping from the congregation, yes, Levi's heart stung. It hurt seeing his boy lay his lips upon another. It hurt knowing that tonight, he was going to have to listen to them consummating their marriage. He was going to have to hear his boy expressing pleasure as he made love to another. And it was going to kill him to listen to it.

But as long as he had this ring, and Eren's promise of a new life, he would keep his hope. Because at the moment, it was all he had.