"We can tie her up over there."

Levi turned his head to see that Aubrey was pointing to a long hitching rail with a trough in front of it. There were already plenty of other horses already lined up and tied to the rail. There was a small group of men sitting nearby, watching. They'd have to pay to tie Lex up. But it was better getting their horse stolen.

Levi nodded and steered Lex over easily. He was already perfectly used to Aubrey's horse. Their ride had been easy and Lex had listened to every command he gave her. And, just like Aubrey had said, she was fast.

When they reached the hitching rail, Levi reached out a hand and Aubrey used it to help herself down. Levi was off in a second and he looked to see Aubrey already grinning at him. She put a hand on his chest and stared up at him. Levi could see the excitement in her eyes.

"Okay, you tie her up and I'll go pay the owner. Sometimes he gives me a discount if I smile enough."

Aubrey winked at him and then before he could say anything, she was gone, walking toward the group of men they'd seen before.

Levi shook his head but did as she asked and securely tied Lex to the rail. He patted the horse's neck and then turned back to see Aubrey doing just as she'd said she would. She was flashing grin after grin and laughing and some probably horrid joke. Levi couldn't help but glare at the owner. But it didn't really matter. Just a few seconds later, Aubrey reached into her bag, pulled out some cash, and paid the man. She gave him one last smile and then twisted around to walk back to Levi.

Aubrey raised an eyebrow when she saw his glare but his attention quickly shifted back to her and his eyes turned from borderline hate to simply unamused. She laughed when she got back to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Well, the good news is that we got a discount. The bad news is that I think the owner shit his pants when he saw that glare you were giving him."

Levi's lips twitched and his eyebrow raised.

"I don't see how that's bad news."

Aubrey laughed again and kissed his cheek before grabbing his hand. Honestly she wasn't sure if it was her smiles or Levi's stare that had made the man cut the price in half. Either way, she was perfectly happy with the outcome.

She took one last look at Lex, seeing that Levi had gotten her tied up and she was taking a long drink from the trough. She patted her horse's side and then returned her attention to Levi's face. He was staring down at her, a small smile on his lips as his eyes went over every feature on her face.

Aubrey stared back at him, unable to stop herself from doing the same. Sometimes he was too beautiful to look away from.

After an amount of time that was probably a little unacceptable, there was a neigh of a horse nearby and they were both shaken from their trance.

Aubrey blinked and saw Levi shake his head. When their eyes met again she just giggled and grabbed his hand. They'd been standing around for too long. Now it was time to get started.

"I was thinking we should get groceries last. That way, whatever needs to stay cold doesn't go bad while we do the rest of the shopping."

Levi nodded and squeezed her hand. Whatever she wanted was fine with him.

Aubrey beamed at him. She was much too excited.

"Okay, how about we start with a new shirt, then?"

Levi nodded again and tugged her current shirt up over her collarbone. Aubrey's eyes widened in anticipation and within a second she was leading him away from the hitching rail and out into the open streets of the market.

Levi scanned the area, taking in the busyness of the market. There were people everywhere, rushing from stand to stand or hurrying in and out of shops. Both sides of the streets were lined with stone buildings with each door displaying a sign that identified the different stores. There was cart after cart of fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, dairy, everything, lined up outside the shops. He'd never seen anything like it. The markets in the Underground had never been so… happy.

Aubrey glanced at him,seeing that he had on his usually neutral expression. But his eyes were shimmering and darting from place to place. It seemed like her plan to give him a pleasant distraction was working. She squeezed his hand and he turned to look at her, his eyes still full of interest.

Aubrey smiled, her teeth flashing in the light before she spoke.

"The clothing shops are just ahead. It shouldn't take me long to find what I need and then we can go wherever you want."

Levi nodded even though there was only one place he really wanted to go. But he wanted to save it for last. Until then, he'd let Aubrey lead the way.

Aubrey turned forward again, her eyes landing on the clothing shop that she'd visited a few times before. It wasn't the most exciting way to start their day but when they were done, they could move on to exploring much more interesting things.

They moved a little further down the street and then Aubrey pulled Levi to the left. They'd arrived at their destination.

She pushed open the door, smiling at the shop owner as he greeted her. Aubrey felt Levi step in behind her and she glanced at his expression. His eyes were wandering greedily, trying to take in the sight before him. There was clothing everywhere of all kinds.

Aubrey didn't let him get overwhelmed. Instead she tugged him to the right, heading for the small section of shirts that would fit her needs. As a soldier, she needed more sturdy and plain clothing than most of what was made for women. At least that meant a quick decision.

Aubrey went right to the back corner and began shifting through her options.

Levi watched as she paused to examine a shirt more closely, made a face, and then put it back. She repeated the process a few more times and Levi finally grew tired of just standing there. He turned to the clothes as well.

It was Aubrey's turn to watch him. Levi flicked through the shirts so quickly that she could hardly believe he was looking at them until he suddenly stopped and pulled one out. He scanned it for a second longer and then pressed it into her hands.

"Here. This one."

Aubrey stared at him wide eyed. She didn't know what to say. So, instead of speaking, she just looked down at the shirt Levi had picked, realizing that… he'd picked right.

The shirt was a light cream color and it was simple and somewhat plain, but the fabric felt thick and sturdy beneath her fingers. Most importantly, though, the cloth would hug along the edge of her neck. She wouldn't have to worry about her collarbone showing at all.

She felt her lips tug upwards and pretty soon she was grinning as she looked up at him. Apparently, Levi did pay attention to what she wore.

Aubrey wrapped a hand around his neck and dragged him down until she could put a light kiss on his cheek.

"Good pick. It's perfect."

Levi hummed in her ear and Aubrey pulled away. She didn't need to look any longer.

She grabbed Levi's hand and they both moved to the counter. When the owner told her the price she reached into her bag, pulling out the first bill her fingers hit. But Aubrey hesitated when she saw it. She didn't have any bills of that much worth. It was Levi's money.

She glanced at him, a nervous and unsure look in her eyes.

Levi had to stop himself from sighing. Why couldn't she understand that whatever was his was hers?

But, instead of sighing, he pressed his hand into her lower back and gave her a nod.

Aubrey hesitated for a second longer and then, with just the slightest exhale, she handed over the money.

The owner gave her the change and she tucked it back into her little pocket of money before placing the shirt inside of her bag.

She turned back to Levi, taking a deep breath before grabbing his hand again and leading him out of the shop.

It only took a couple of seconds before they were back out in the bright light of the sun with the bustle and clatter of the market all around them.

Aubrey took another breath and then twisted to look at Levi, a grin coming to her lips as soon as she saw his face. He still looked absolutely captivated. She figured that maybe she should make a suggestion for their next stop.

"How about the tea shop next? I promised Erwin I'd buy him some and we could get a few new kinds for ourselves."

Levi instantly glanced over at her as his lips twitched into a small smile.

"Lead the way."

Aubrey grinned even wider, if that was at all possible, and she pulled him down the street.

The rest of their morning was spent wandering through the shops, sometimes buying things and sometimes just stopping to admire. When they'd gone to the tea shop, Aubrey had quickly picked out a tea that she knew Erwin liked and then helped Levi pick out a few more for themselves. They had different tastes so they ended up settling on a white tea for her and a black tea for him. But the whole time they'd been there, Levi had been staring at another jar of leaves. Aubrey had reached for it but he'd caught her wrist and stopped her, muttering something about it being too expensive. She'd just grabbed it when he wasn't looking and bought it anyway. He obviously didn't realize that they had a small fortune to spend.

They'd moved on to a book store next and Aubrey had found a few stories that sounded interesting enough to put on their bookshelves. She'd even found one she'd thought Hange would like. She'd picked up some new quills and ink for Erwin and then paid before Levi dragged her to the next store.

Together they'd gone through more shops, sifting through clothes they had no intention of buying, eyeing the cakes in the window of the patisserie, purchasing a few bars of soap that Levi claimed didn'y smell like shit.

Eventually, Levi had pulled Aubrey into a sweets shop and told her to pick any chocolates she wanted. Aubrey had squealed, kissed him, and then forced him to help her with the decision making process. She'd soon found out that he had a preference for mint and had picked a box that had plenty of the flavor. They'd paid quickly and then Aubrey had found a place to buy some sandwiches for lunch.

The market just happened to be near the river and she'd found them a nice hidden patch of grass to eat on. Levi had complained a little about the dirt but he'd sat down anyway and Aubrey had sat facing him, their knees touching as they ate their lunch. They'd discussed what kind of groceries they wanted and she'd been surprised when Levi had asked if she knew how to make a specific kind of potato soup. She'd said yes and then asked why he wanted that soup in particular. When he'd said that his mother had made it for him as a child Aubrey hadn't been to stop herself from pulling him close and kissing him until they were both breathless.

When they'd recovered from their embrace, she'd taken out their newly purchased chocolates and laid against Levi's chest as they ate a few and watched the water of the river.

After they'd finished lunch, Aubrey had taken Levi right to the produce stands and picked out the best looking potatoes she could find. She'd smiled when he'd squeezed his hand and kissed her forehead after she'd bought them. Aubrey had bought the rest of the ingredients they'd need for the soup and then gone on to get the basics. Their bag quickly filled up with foods of all kinds and Levi had lifted it from Aubrey's shoulder as soon as he'd started to suspect that it was getting heavy. Aubrey hadn't bothered protesting. She'd known he wouldn't give in.

Eventually, they'd come to the butcher shop and Aubrey had leered at a cut of meat that was ridiculously expensive. She'd just moved on and bought what she'd thought they'd like to have for the occasional nice dinner.

But when she'd finished her purchase, Levi had walked right up to the counter and bought the very cut of meat she'd passed on. She'd opened her mouth to object but it had been too late and Levi had already paid the owner. She'd just sighed when she'd realized that her trick with the tea had come full circle.

Finally, after they'd left the butcher shop, Aubrey had realized that it was time to go. They'd have to leave soon if they wanted to get the meat home before it spoiled.

Her and Levi had walked back to Lex, loading her saddlebags and emptying the satchel of all of their purchases.

Aubrey was just tightening the latches on the saddlebags when she suddenly felt Levi's hand on her waist, gently tugging as he asked for her to turn and face him.

Aubrey's brows furrowed and she twisted around to meet his eyes. She'd been expecting to have him say there was a problem of some kind but she could easily see a look of anticipation on his face. She only grew more confused.

"What is it?"

Levi dropped his hand from her waist and instead grabbed her hand.

"There's one more place we need to go."

Aubrey's mind churned, trying to think where else he could possibly want to visit. They'd already gone to nearly every shop that could be of interest to them.

"But the meat-"

"The meat can wait a few more minutes."

Aubrey shut her mouth, a little surprised by the urgency with which he'd cut her off. She decided that she should just stop asking questions and let him take her wherever he wanted to go.

She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. She was growing excited to see exactly why he had such a strange look in his eyes.

"Okay, let's go, then."

Levi didn't waste a second as he led her away from Lex one more time and scanned the street, looking for the shop he'd spotted earlier.

Finally, he found it and he lightly tugged on Aubrey's arm as they strolled over to the left side of the street.

Aubrey scanned the shops, trying to figure out where Levi might be taking her… until he came to a sudden stop. She jolted a bit as tried to avoid running into him and looked to see that he'd turned to stare at the store in front of them.

Aubrey followed his gaze and her eyes soon landed on the sign above the door.

Every muscle in her body tensed and her eyes widened to the point that it was uncomfortable.

Levi had brought her to a jewelry shop. And front and center in the window was a row of hefty diamond rings.

Aubrey's mind reeled, trying to think of a reason why Levi would have brought her here. Maybe he was just pausing to look and this wasn't their final destination? Maybe he thought she wanted to go in? Maybe he had a broken piece of jewelry he needed fixed?

Aubrey's brain kept churning and running through possibility after possibility, trying to explain why Levi could have brought her to a jewelry store.

"Relax. I'm not going to marry you yet, if that's what you're thinking."

Aubrey head whipped to the side to see a familiar neutral look on Levi's face… though, there was perhaps a twinge of amusement there, too.

Aubrey sighed when she saw that he was being serious. He hadn't brought her here to pick out a wedding ring. Why would he have? The idea was so far-fetched she couldn't believe she'd considered it in the first place.

But then she replayed his words in her head.

Relax. I'm not going to marry you yet, if that's what you're thinking.

Yet.

Aubrey was only beginning to process the meaning of that word when Levi spoke again.

"We're too young for that shit."

Aubrey stared at him slack jawed until her ability to speak finally returned.

"That's the only reason?"

Levi smirked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Can you think of any other reason?"

Aubrey went silent again. She could think of plenty of other reasons. They'd only known each other for a couple of months, they'd only been together for a week, they were soldiers whose work didn't necessarily encourage the married lifestyle…

But most of all… Levi just didn't seem like the marrying kind.

And, though she could think of all these other reasons, she knew that if Levi had wanted to, he'd have been able to make her disregard them in just a few minutes. As alarmed as she'd been by the idea of marriage just a second ago, she knew that if Levi asked her… she wouldn't be able to say no.

"That's what I thought."

Levi smirked at her again and Aubrey suddenly came back to her senses enough to slap him lightly on the shoulder.

"Fine, you're right. We're too young. But if that's not why we're here then what are we here for?"

Aubrey watched as Levi's smirk turned to a smile and he pulled her a little closer.

"I promised you a necklace, remember?"

Aubrey's brows furrowed, unable to recall any promise of a necklace. But then it came to her. When Levi had pulled his stash of money out from under the floorboards of his room she'd hardly been able to process his words. She'd been too focused on the small fortune in his hands and the fact that he wanted to share it with her to think about his offer to buy her necklace.

Aubrey's face relaxed and she glanced back up at him, her eyebrows raising.

"You're seriously going to buy me a necklace?"

She waited, expecting some kind of snarky reply. But she got the opposite.

Levi tugged her even closer and he raised the back of her hand to his lips before he spoke.

"Any one you want."

Aubrey was frozen for a moment, still shocked by his sincerity. But one more look at the anticipation in his eyes was enough to make her melt. A smile spread across her face and she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you."

Levi's smile grew and Aubrey saw a rare flash of his teeth. It only lasted for a second before he pressed his lips to her hand one more time and then pulled her through the door of the shop.

Aubrey knew that she was grinning like a maniac when they entered and her belief was only confirmed when the shop owner instantly greeted them, sensing an easy sale.

"Good afternoon, can I help you find something?" Her eyes darted to their twined fingers and then back to Aubrey's grin. "A ring, perhaps?"

Aubrey felt a blush rising to her cheeks but Levi responded before she could even get her mouth open.

"A necklace."

The owner smiled and then gestured to a display on their left.

"Right over here."

Levi pulled Aubrey over eagerly and she had to hold back a giggle. She was growing more excited by the second.

Finally, they stopped in front of a glass case and Aubrey stared down at her options. There were a lot of them.

There were necklaces of gold and silver in all kinds of designs, shapes, and sizes. Their pendants ranged from simple and small to large and extravagant with huge gemstones.

Aubrey focused in on the smaller pieces. She didn't want anything too ornate or showy. She wanted to be able to wear the necklace even in casual situations.

Aubrey felt Levi move behind her and was surprised when his hands went to her waist and his chin tucked into her neck as he looked over her shoulder. He must have been in an exceptionally good mood if he was willing to show her such affection in a public place.

Aubrey continued looking, taking her time as she examined each and every piece in detail. For some reason, she felt like she was experiencing some kind of milestone in her relationship with Levi and she wanted to make sure that she made the right decision.

She stood, her eyes flitting from necklace to necklace… and then she found it.

The second her eyes landed on it, she knew it was the one.

Aubrey lifted her hand, pointing out the piece she'd chosen to the store owner.

"That one."

The owner grinned and reached into the case, pulling out the necklace.

"Good choice."

Levi leaned forward, pressing further into Aubrey's back as he took a good look at what she'd picked.

It was a very simple necklace with a dainty gold chain and a tiny gold pendant. Levi stared harder and then felt his lips twitch when he saw why she'd chosen this necklace.

The pendant was a tiny golden star with what looked like a diamond at its center. But the star wasn't just any star. It was in the shape of a cross with four distinct points. It was the North Star.

Levi pressed his lips to her hair and then stopped the owner mid-movement.

"We don't need a box."

The owner said something about the price but Aubrey didn't hear. All she could do was watch as Levi pulled the money from their bag, handed it over, and took the necklace.

Before she knew it, Levi had grabbed her hand and started pulling her out of the store. Aubrey couldn't help but grin again as he led her back through the streets, veering off to a quiet and private spot near the river.

As soon as they got there, Levi's hands went to her hips and he turned her around so that he could stand behind her. She shuddered when his fingers brushed against her neck as he pushed her hair out of the way. Then she felt the cool touch of metal on her skin and soon Levi was turning her around again to face him. Aubrey followed his direction eagerly and stared up at him.

He was still smiling but it was subtle, undetectable unless you looked closely. But the real smile was in his eyes. Aubrey was beginning to realize that everything was in his eyes. He may have grown adept at keeping that neutral expression in tact but if you could learn to read his eyes… you could learn anything about him.

Aubrey felt Levi's palm on her cheek and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he leaned down. When his lips hit hers, Aubrey smiled into him, unable to contain her absolute happiness. Levi put his free hand on her waist and pulled her closer until their bodies were completely pressed together.

Aubrey ran a hand into his hair and let the strands slide through her fingers. She'd loved every second of their day and now she had a token to remember it by. Even now, she knew she'd wear it every day for the rest of her life.

Eventually, the two of them ran out of air and Aubrey broke away, pressing their foreheads together. Levi hand slid away from her cheek and down to her chest, where he took the tiny pendant in his hand and looked a little closer.

Aubrey gazed at the star and then back at Levi, a smile still on her lips.

"Thank you, Levi. I love it."

Levi pulled away to see her face, feeling a comforting warmth run through him when he saw her expression.

"I love you."

Aubrey felt her eyes start to water at his declaration. Every time he said it, she was overwhelmed by the sensation of pure bliss.

She reached for his face and stroked his cheekbones as she spoke.

"I love you, too." She paused staring at him for a moment longer and then finally continued on. "Now let's go home. Maybe I can make the soup for dinner."

Aubrey watched as a full smile took over Levi's lips, his teeth glinting in the sun. She stared at him, completely dazzled before he kissed her again and then started tugging her away from their private little spot and back toward Lex.

Aubrey went along easily, wondering how she'd ever lived without him.

A/N: More fluff :)

There will be one more fluff chapter after this and then we're on to the end of this story :' ) Very bittersweet. I would guess maybe like… five more chapters until this book finishes? I always say that and then I end up going like another 20 chapters, but I think I'm serious this time lol. There's only one more part of the story to fit in.

I am going to buy myself a cake when I finish this book and eat the whole thing by myself. I CANNOT believe that I wrote a 200k+ word fanfic. I am amazed by myself and I deserve cake.

I hope the last chapter helped everyone have a slightly more enjoyable Valentine's Day :)

Okay, on to the actual chapter lol. Levi wants to marry her one dayyyyyyyy. Too cute. And he bought her a necklace. Also too cuteeeeeeeee. I cannot. They're so adorable that sometimes it hurts.

Also, regarding my last question about whether or not I should start a social media platform of some kind… I will! Once I get it up and running I'll put it at the end of the next author's note :)

PLEASE leave a comment if you want! I am back to begging now. I love them so much and I am obsessed. Literally, you could leave 20 comments on one chapter and I would read every single one and squeal the whole time.

Okay, that's all I've got. I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day and I hop y'all like the chapter! 333