It's an edited version.
Levi never understood why he ended up married. He wasn't sure why.
Perhaps, it was because he never had a thought of it. Not even in his darkest dream. The thought of him being married was simply ridiculous and absurd. He barely got a grip of his messed up life, he was far from settlement. He'd never considered himself having a relationship with women before - it definitely wasn't counted as a relationship. He'd never been further from it.
He'd been with women, only one woman though, for sure - plenty of times they'd been together. He'd only allowed himself to embrace such feelings for one particular woman. But it wasn't anything official. They'd never talked about settling down and married - He always considered it as a platonic between them, sure they cared for each other. And that was it. Things - whatever it was - between them happened only long last for a while before Levi realized he'd let himself involved his feelings into them, with her. It was so sudden until all left from him was endless grief and guilt, rooted within him. He was capable of killing enemy's out there, killing innocent lives in the name of war, killing a hundred men from the Marley who also had a family waiting for them at home - he could overcome with it, he always had a way to bear his own sins killing the enemy, killing people's life.
But the moment he watched his comrades die - and her lifeless body lying on the coffin on it's way to be buried in the cemetery, it haunted him every night. It was too late until he realized things between them were more than platonic and he'd swore he was incapable of having such a burden of feelings since it was too much to handle when he had to let go in the end. He definitely didn't deserve all her kindness and love she'd offered.
He couldn't be responsible for someone else's life and having such a feelings when he barely settled his own. So it was concluded, he never had a thought of him marrying someone, because it was too complicated.
Or perhaps, it was because his mother who used to be a sex worker never talked about marriage to him. Sex was the thing his mother had chosen to survive. While Levi choose his power to survive and fight, he'd learned it from Kenny. All Levi knew from his childhood was he had to be the strongest to survive and alive, and it was better to involve less feeling on his way to survive. Because that was how nature worked.
His late mother had never talked about marriage even after her death - or the closest thing of it was love, they said children are a product of love - that's why they called it making love - and children are a blessing. But he knew he wasn't a blessing, he was a burden instead - he was unwanted, a mistake.
Someday, between the times when he was starving he'd heard his mother pleading for help with one particular customer to be free from the brothel, saying she bore a child of his and the man - he'd assumed to be his father - was cursing and yelling at his mother, casually saying that he had a wife and children waiting for him at home in Sina Capital. And he'd heard his mom kept him because his mom was in fact - falling in love with her customer - who happened to be his dad.
But it wasn't love, he knew it. Love shouldn't have left her mom, dying of hunger sickly and agony in some fucked up underground city at a brothel while his father lived up his best life with his own family right up there. He was sure his mom died in the sake of unrequited love, eventually.
It wasn't like he never saw someone actually in love. Erwin and Hanji were perfect examples of it, even though it was still odd to think about it. And he'd seen Kenny - that old man indeed the happiest when he talked about his wife. But it didn't make Levi have a desire of loving someone and to have a wife either. His mother's face was in his mind permanently - how love was useless, and it was suffocating her to death. And love, leaving him no good but only a lifetime guilt the day she died, all left was an unbearable pain he'd always carried. He didn't exactly have a normal childhood, they said the most painful memories was the one they kept then. It was him watching his mom dying slowly, of love, and even though he was Humanity's Strongest soldier, he was still incapable to protect the one he'd loved.
Or maybe, it was because the burden on his shoulders was too enormous to add another responsibility to involve a woman's presence and hope, and life.
Levi had so many things to worry about, whether in the military, in the Survey Corps, in his special squad operation. Unintentionally, his decision to join Survey Corps added more responsibility and there were a lot of people who trusted him - trusted his decision. The fact that he was just an ordinary human being (even though he is humanity's strongest soldier) sometimes still questioning any decisions he'd made whether it was right or wrong.
He had accomplished many things but he'd failed them countless times. Was the death of his comrade worth it? He still questioned it even for today.
Many people believed in his strength. And also there were people who put their lives on him gratuitously and still ended up dead, they still trusted him.
They never doubt him.
When he was in the Underground City, he never had a vision that there would be many people entrusting the future of this country and their lives to him.
And now he also questioned whether marrying Mikasa Ackerman was the right decision to be responsible for her life.
But, Kenny - trusted him. All Levi knew was that his uncle never hesitated in his decision, his uncle probably mocked him a lot, the moment he'd told Kenny he was joining Survey Corps - his uncle didn't criticize him and fully trusted him. And Kenny's decision to marry him with Mikasa was a decision Kenny would not doubt it for sure.
Levi didn't even have time to think about how to be a good partner. Even though he worked as a team he was actually more comfortable, more confident working alone, to involve less people to death. Seeing himself, being responsible for another life of a woman he barely knew about, he almost guffawed.
But Kenny's words were true though. His words stuck in his mind. Mikasa was a member of their clan that he should protect. Family above everything. And the one who could protect the Ackerman, it's the Ackerman themself. The one who could protect Mikasa was him.
And the one who could put her in danger was also him.
Despite all those indefinite thoughts he had, that day happened too. Today was his wedding day. Many people had said Levi was a lucky guy, Mikasa Yaeger - was the name that the woman carried, and for the first time made her debut in society, by announcing that she's engaged with the Captain of Trost District, Captain Levi of the special squad operation from Survey Corps - the hero of the island, the Humanity's Strongest soldier.
"You know a lot of girls out there are jealous of Mikasa," Hanji said, Levi didn't reply a word, he'd heard a lot from his uncle or Hanji - making fun of him that Levi was popular among women, both from upper and lower class.
"Women are crazy about you. I heard from Caven that women babbles a lot about you in town. You can choose women anywhere and they volunteer to give themselves up, or take off their dresses just for you. That's how ridiculously popular you are, Shorty."
Kenny oftenly jokes about it. Kenny and his dark jokes only giving him another headache.
He also heard a lot from Oluo, his former dead squad - a member of the remaining squad secretly gossiped that Oluo was jealous of Levi's fame and started acting like Levi for a day, and it caused many problem.
Hanji'd said it was a fate then, to get married soon, because Erwin gave him two choices - marry Frieda Reiss or someone else - and Levi had chosen the second one, he remembered Kenny's advice, allied with fellow clans much better than outsider, certainly much better than the Royals, better to be persecuted by the royals, than enslaved by the royals. Levi or Kenny would not allow any Ackerman's descendants to be enslaved by the royals, by Rod Reiss and make them their royal soldier.
After Erwin had announced to the royals that Captain Levi was getting married soon, Uri Reiss – the wise King received the news delightfully and offered the royals assistance to carry out the wedding.
But Levi and Yaeger family chose to hold a simple ceremony at the church near Yaeger's residence.
Their wedding happened a week right after Levi and Kenny's visit, not taking much time or anything to prepare, because nothing much to prepare anyways.
It was a simple wedding, yet beautiful. He had to admit it. It was in the afternoon, and the sunset behind them was watching in felicity as if it was giving her blessing.
Until that day came, today was the day Captain Levi married Mikasa Yaeger.
It had been a talk and gossip everywhere of all upper until lower class people. Captain Levi from the Survey Corps married the daughter of the country's most influential doctor, Mikasa Yaeger.
Levi also heard the rumors, the public was deadly curious about the figure of Yaeger's adopted daughter who never participated in social parties which was held once at the end of the month by the royals. No one really knew the background of that pale-skinned woman. Rumors in the community who have met with Mikasa accidentally, stated that Mikasa was much more beautiful compared to any other women in Paradis country, even more beautiful than Rod Reiss' eldest daughter goddes-look alike - Frieda Reiss.
They said she was a mysterious woman, they called her a roses among the mud, since it was a rare sight for a Shiganshina's citizens, a pretty woman in the middle of impecunious town as she grew up behind those wall of Yaeger family in silences after all this time. But her beauty was a never ending topic of the town. The rumours were Mikasa was adopted by Yaeger, and even weirder they'd said Mikasa was a child out of wedlock from Grisha Yaeger's affair with oriental women. But the Yaeger family never mentioned anything.
And that was true. The first time Levi met a 9 years old Mikasa Ackerman with Kenny, Levi had believed Mikasa with the blood of the famous Shogun clan she had - would surely grow into a beautiful woman.
He'd proved that with his own eyes a week ago, Mikasa had grown into the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. He never had a memory of his mother's presence with such a pleasant appearance. And the women in Sina, they attempted to be beautiful with those makeup and tight dresses and perfumes with a seducing motive.
But Mikasa Ackerman was simply gorgeous, she was effortlessly, stunningly beautiful, she was exquisite. It was her face that was so specifically mesmerizing, even though she always had that bored look on her, she was still dazzling. So, he easily would say that Mikasa was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.
Their wedding was held on Sunday, surprisingly Kenny said it was a day of rest, a good day to start a goodwill, and everyone seemed to celebrate it delightedly. Except the bride themselves, they all looked gloomy on their wedding day behind those pretty white dress she wore and Levi's appropriate attire of man suit.
As soon as Mikasa appeared at the end of church's garden, Levi stared at her with that simple but pretty white wedding dress. Mikasa walked slowly with her adoptive father Grisha Yaeger with a bucket of flowers towards him and the priest.
Everyone seemed stunned. Everything looked perfect.
Upon arriving at the altar, Levi could see Mikasa's meaningless face behind her wedding veil, Mikasa avoided his gaze by staring at the priest staightly.
Without thinking, Levi immediately grasped Mikasa's cold hand.
"This afternoon we gathered to witness two human beings united in a wedding..." The priest started off, Levi's attention was drifted on Mikasa's cold hands in his grasp. It was the coldest hand Levi ever knew.
He had a the intuition that it wouldn't end up well.
You could stop it.
It was the sound of his wish and selfishness.
You have to protect her.
And it was his logical thoughts.
Levi didn't pay much attention to what the priest said but he managed to keep hearing it until the end, until the priest asked him to say his marriage vows.
"I'm Captain Levi, take Mikasa Yaeger to be my lawful wife. I promise to continue with her in good times and hard times, in sickness and in health, and honor you all the days of my life, until death do us part." Levi said his wedding vows quietly.
"And do you Mikasa Ackerman take Captain Levi as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for a better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or health, to love and cherish until death do you part?" the priest asked.
The wind blew slowly, the grass in the courtyard of the church swayed quietly, Levi almost able to hear the friction of the grass so clearly because the atmosphere on that afternoon was so quiet, he did not care what the priest raved about. Levi glanced at the woman next to him who seemed to pay close attention to what the priest had just asked her.
Mikasa did not answer it, another second passed and another one. Until the crowd started whispering. It would be funny if she said no. So Levi squeezed Mikasa's cold hands. Awaken Mikasa's daydreams and brought her back to reality.
"I do," Mikasa replied briefly.
Perhaps, marrying out of necessity wasn't exactly delightful for young women. A woman her age was supposed to marry her lover, have fun with a friend her age instead of marrying a 30-year-old man like Levi. That was what Levi had in mind.
They exchanged rings, the ring surprisingly bought by his uncle, Kenny. Levi could say it was an expensive ring, he believed Kenny had bought it from a famous jewelry store in Sina.
The priest continued his words, but this time Levi really didn't pay attention to what the priest was saying. His focus was only on the ring that circles his ring finger, tying it coldly. It was odd. Then he glanced at the young woman beside him.
Mikasa's black hair was tied on a simple bun behind the veil caught Levi's attention, and vaguely his mother's face appeared in his memory. His mother also had black hair.
Levi had that immeasurable question in mind as Mikasa squeezed his hand gently, and Levi turned to the woman next to him. He found Mikasa's dark eyes staring at him with a hard-to-read stare.
"Ehem..." The priest cleared his throat.
"I said I just announced you're officially married," the priest reprimanded him, smiling.
Levi nodded, "Right…" was his reply, unsure.
"You may kiss your bride," The priest added.
He blinked for a mere moment, contemplating what the priest had just said. Levi forgot that weddings had additional events like kissing each other. It was just only a kiss though, they should at least follow the tradition, he thought.
Without thinking, Levi pulled Mikasa's waist in one hand, brought her closer to him and gave her a peck on her lips - he heard the audience cheered for their unity. Despite Mikasa's cold hands, to his surprise her lips felt warm.