My gosh you guys.

As always, your reviews have just…I have no words. You have told me that my writing has helped make your bad days a little less bad, that I brought a smile to you on your BIRTHDAY (Happy late birthday, hope you had an awesome day!) and that you guys all support my vision for this story – I swear to you that I am privileged to have the greatest readers on this site.

Truly, I myself look forward to updates because I want to share the next chapter of course, but man if this really does make even that small difference in your day, what an honor for me to be that conduit for you all! Thanks for taking this journey with me, and yall don't worry, I promise you that there are many MANY more chapters coming. Like… a lot. Fun stuff I promise.

I'll be quiet now. Yall get to reading :)

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"Marry me, Petra." Levi stated simply, watching her pointedly, as though he were actually expecting an answer then and there.

Petra ducked her head lower as she eyed him incredulously, her response a mix between a hiss and a whisper, "Wha- Marry you? That's your grand solution? Have you actually gone insane?"

Levi looked around the room as though checking for people, also dropping his voice to a hushed whisper as he leaned forward, "Petra…why are you whispering?"

She felt her face flush at his poking fun at her, and she sat up fully, her voice still hushed and quiet as though she were in some form of forbidden subject matter, "Because, Levi, what you're suggesting is just…I don't even know what to say!"

Levi smirked at her dramatic reaction and beet red face, regardless the seriousness of the situation at hand. He shrugged nonchalantly, "Well traditionally a woman either responds with a yes or no – although I didn't get down on one knee, so perhaps it's a moot point to focus on tradition right now."

Petra rolled her eyes and gave him a long stare, suggesting that this was no laughing matter and he slowly sobered his expression, sitting up fully as he took a breath, "Look. I know how extreme an option this is. Trust me when I say that I'm not exactly comfortable with it myself," He looked at her squarely, his expression now completely serious, "But you should know me well enough to know that I wouldn't be bringing it up if there were a different option at hand."

Petra exhaled, giving a weak nod and avoiding eye contact as she tried to think it through. She shook her head in admitted surprise, "I was thinking you'd find like some weird sub clause or some old forgotten military perk, maybe call in a favor from a higher up. But this…? Sorry if I'm a bit slow to the draw, but I'm still having a hard time believing that I'm actually having this conversation with you right now. This is…you're for real right? Be a hell of a time for you to suddenly grow a sense of humor."

"Believe me, I wish it would have been that simple." Levi crossed his arms and slouched back into the chair, "The reality is that we can't find a work around, and we only have three days to work with before you are legally out of our hands for good. Bluntly that's not enough time for you to reach your father, but it is plenty of time for Erwin to legally preform a wedding. If you are bound in matrimony, it is no longer your father that is viewed as your head of household, rather your husband. Your father's previous appeal would mean nothing and you can extend, or end your contract however you see fit."

Petra blinked a few times, still finding it impossible to wrap her head around the sudden direction the conversation had taken. She opened her mouth a few times, struggling to find the right words, before holding up her hands defensively, "I get the theory behind it – and I am not giving an answer just yet – but before we even get to that part, is this actually practical? Is this an idea you just now came up with, or have you actually talked to Erwin to make sure this all checks out? I mean, let's not forget the obvious here, you're my commanding officer. Are you even allowed to marry me? Without breaking any rules that is?"

Levi exhaled and gave a few nods, noting that her questions were precise and logical – at the very least she was taking him seriously now. "I ran the idea by Erwin who agreed, much like you, that theoretically it was possible should we both consent to the marriage, but when we added the military rules it seemed like a bust, namely due to the fact that I am your direct commanding officer."

Petra watched him warily, "But you found a loophole?"

Levi blinked as though surprised himself, "So to speak. In this exact scenario mind you, there's something that plays in your favor. While a Commanding Officer marrying a lower ranked soldier is perfectly legal, traditionally they aren't permitted to be on the same Squad – an obvious problem in our case."

Levi cleared his throat and continued, "However, there is a bylaw that states that either impacted party cannot be promoted or demoted as a result of a change in marital status – something that would in fact occur if we tried to move you somewhere else. Whether we moved you into an Officer role, or simply moved you to a different squad, your rank would be impacted which makes the change illegal due to potential discrimination. Due to the very unique rank you have from being on my squad, there is nowhere else we can place you that won't infringe upon the Scout's code of conduct. In short, because our group is a singular specialty unit, you can legally be married to me, and remain on my squad at the same time – perhaps more accurately stated, there's actually nowhere else for you to go."

Petra shook her head in wonder and gave a chuckle, amused greatly that she was even considering this. "Wow. That's…convenient. At least that's one single thing that somewhat plays in our favor. And what exactly does Erwin think about all of this? Just because it's legal doesn't mean Erwin would condone it, right? A Captain and his subordinate…Levi, that's more than a little taboo."

The Ackerman crossed his arms, recalling the previous hours that had been spent discussing these same questions with Hanji and Erwin. They had all tossed around ideas, though once Levi finally suggested the idea that was growing more prominent in his mind and actually had the guts to admit his direction of thought, they all slowly, begrudgingly agreed that as extreme an option as it was, it would work, and unfortunately, it was the only one they had.

Remembering the hours of debate, the logical red flags, the wildfire gossip that would undoubtedly be spread as a result of such a sudden marriage, Levi gave a simple shrug and summarized, "Erwin's thoughts? Well, the same that all of us are thinking. This entire thing is fucked. He doesn't like this as an option, Hanji doesn't like this as an option, I don't much like it as an option, and I know full well you have your reservations about it, as you should…But."

Levi paused and looked at her firmly, holding her eye contact in a manner that captivated her, "You told me before that being in the Scouts means everything to you. I decided that if that was true, I would do anything in my power as your Captain to see that your choice was honored." He paused, quirking an eyebrow at the irony of the circumstance, "Granted, this outcome is significantly more personal than I ever expected it to become, but it is what it is. The difficult thing here is-"

He paused as he noted Petra's suddenly troubled expression, and he sighed.

Watching her for a long moment, he nodded lightly, "Petra, perhaps I should clarify something. I'm not using this as a test of your loyalty; I'll understand perfectly if you decide against it and return home, there's no shame in that…but if you are serious, if being on my squad matters more to you than anything else – more than..."

Her gaze on him was heavy as he tried to find things that she would be sacrificing in exchange for a place on his Squad. Truth be told, he did want her to stay, but as he had told her before, the cost was high, and she needed to know just what she was giving up before she made any hasty decisions.

He took a breath and explained gently, listing out things that he was so certain a girl like Petra would want in her life, "More than…finding love, more than having a family, having your dad walk you down the aisle…" He gave a nod, "If you are content with giving up the ordinary pleasures of a traditional civilian life - then I will marry you, and you will remain on my squad for as long as you wish."

Petra's frown only deepened, and she wasn't sure why there were tears in her eyes. "Captain, I...no. You shouldn't have to sacrifice any of that either, this is my mess and to get you tangled up in it, for the rest of your life, I just…no. I can't ask that of you. It's not fair; it's not right."

Levi quirked an eyebrow, "Petra you seem to be forgetting that I asked you. And besides, as much as you seem to want to think that I'm being some sort of hero here, the reality is I am not giving up much of anything important to me. I intend on being in the Scouts until my life comes to an end, so getting in a relationship and settling down is of little interest to me. I don't mean to be callus, but I need you to understand what I am offering, versus what I'm not: I am offering you a legal marriage that will ultimately allow you to stay on my squad. But. I am not offering a relationship with you, and I want to make that very clear."

Levi paused and took a moment to cross his arms as he explained with a serious expression, "I'm not looking to settle down, or to have a 'wife' or whatever – it'll be weird enough as it is and I don't need the headache of a forced relationship on top of it. All due respect, but I have no interest in such things, nor in being such a man for you. I intend to be your Captain – no more, and no less."

After Levi's unexpectedly blunt clarification, Petra stared at him in wonder and found a sudden smirk painting her lips, "Wow Captain, talk dirty to me."

He gave a small laugh, amused by her cheeky retort, and his expression relaxed as he gave a grin of his own, "I know, no doubt the exact scenario you dreamed of as a little snotty nosed brat. More importantly Petra, I don't want you to feel that you owe me anything or that this is some sort of favor with undisclosed strings attached. It will be the easiest for everyone involved if we just go about business as usual, instead of trying to live like a traditional married couple. I will still be your Captain, and you'll still be the annoying little shit that I have to whip into shape."

Petra looked at him for a long moment, deciding that – while almost insultingly straightforward – his decision to make things strictly business took some of the unspoken questions out of her mind and truly did uncomplicate things, if only a little. He had a valid point - just because there was a piece of paper stating they were legally bound in matrimony did not actually mean they had to act and behave like married people. They could still play out their same roles in the squad day by day and life could return to normal almost immediately.

…So what was the problem then?

Levi's proposal to fix the situation – a legitimate proposal as fate would have it – would work, she knew it would, and yet she found herself hesitating to agree. There was just something so twisted, something that didn't sit right in her gut, about marrying for anything other than love. Her father had always taught her that marriage was sacred – that a marriage based on money, good looks, anything short of honest love for another person, would inevitably bottom out and lead to a life of regret. What was more, divorce wasn't exactly an option for later down the road. With the rise of the religious figures over the past many years, divorce had been all but outlawed across all the districts and walled territories. In the event she actually agreed to marry the Captain, for something that she could only look at as a desperate form of career advancement – she mentally cringed - it would be a permanent ordeal.

Oh gods if she actually did this, her father would have an outright heart attack.

Petra gave a quiet, bemused laugh to herself as she thought about holidays and family gatherings – Levi sitting at one end of the table casually, her father sitting on the other, glaring tersely with an all-out snarl at his unwanted, uncaring son in law. Her father would be so disappointed in her. Or perhaps, there would be no family gatherings and no meeting her father? Levi had stated that he wanted no actual relationship with her, so that would very likely include the meeting her family and other traditions that came with the territory.

Petra could easily accept the fact that those things wouldn't happen with Levi, that was one thing, but the fact that they would never happen at all? A tear spilled over her cheek in the same moment as thoughts plagued her mind regarding the potential outcomes of her decision.

She looked toward the ceiling as she wiped her eyes, trying to compose herself and laughing all the more at the conflicting emotions that warred within her. It was easier to laugh right now with Levi watching her, her thoughts were just too painful to dwell on, "This day, I swear. Why couldn't you just have been behind in your paperwork?"

Levi smirked again, though allowed her a moment to collect her thoughts, falling silent as she seemed to ponder her options in tense silence. As she looked toward him, her green eyes clouded with questions and regret and longing, Levi furrowed his eyebrows as he watched her in return, finding it rather difficult to read his quiet subordinate - an uncommon practice for him considering Petra was usually an easy read with her dramatic and boisterous mannerisms.

"What are your thoughts on all of this?" he asked softly, studying her as he did so because while he didn't want to rush her, the waiting was starting to make him anxious.

She looked at him sadly, shaking her head in dismay, "It's not that I really see myself settling down, but perhaps the surprise – just the fact that one day it could happen, is thrilling and exciting, and to just close that door off? What girl doesn't dream about her wedding day, right?"

Levi rolled his shoulders, then shifted across the chair again, not sure if he really was the best person suited to have such a tender conversation with her about love and romance or whatever, and he held back a sigh as he watched her with (what he hoped) was a patient expression, "Look. I'm not saying you have to answer now, but the reality is it's just a simple question of what you want the most."

Petra scoffed at his words, giving a bitter laugh while shaking her head, "Simple…" she repeated bitterly, "This is anything but simple, Levi. Simple would be my dad minding his own damn business. Simple would be the government deciding that I'm not second class just because I'm a girl. Simple would be not having to choose between two drastically different, and drastically costly futures."

She looked back up toward the ceiling, more tears threatening to fall. Damn it all, she hated when she cried.

"Either I go home to live with my father and my time as a Scout- the best years of my life- are forever behind me, or I marry you – a cold and formal bond that keeps me where I want to be, but forever keeps me chained to you as my legal husband, whether I remain in the Scouts or not. Just for the record Captain, you're a good man, but I don't want to marry you. I don't…I don't look at you like that and trying to wrap my mind around the idea of getting married by Friday – it's just too damn much and I'm not sure what I should do."

She pressed her lips together, frustration coursing through her, "But make no mistake, you're no hero here Captain. The fact that you'd even offer me such a thing...ugh, honestly I could murder you right now! Had I not known about this I could have at least gone home with the peace of mind that I had no control in the outcome. Now it doesn't matter what I choose, I will always bear the burden of what I chose to leave behind. Why would you ever put me in such a place?"

"You're strong Petra." Levi supplemented easily, not seeming to be perturbed by her sudden place of blame, "If I didn't think you could handle the strain and choose what is best for yourself, I wouldn't have offered such an option in the first place. Besides, I thought that's what this was all about: you getting to choose your own path."

Petra closed her eyes fully, feeling more tears fall down the sides of her face. She whispered brokenly, "I don't want this Captain."

"I know."

A long silence passed by, and Petra took a deep breath. She looked at Levi firmly, watching him for a long moment as she regarded her decision. She wasn't sure if she wanted to cry, or hug him, or hit him as hard as she possibly could and simply walk away.

At the very least, she found the entire circumstance ironic. Only Levi could come up with such an absurd fix to her problem, one that would hurt just as much as it healed. But, to his credit, he was the only one to actually offer her a true choice – the very thing her own father had stripped away from her. The reality was, there was only one option that offered her true happiness, and she had known it from the beginning.

Resolve fell over her, and she exhaled softly.

Her mind was made up, but her heart was broken.

"I'll do it." She stated as she locked her gaze with the Captain's, "I will. I'll marry you, Levi. At least this way, no one will be choosing my path but me, and I choose to stay."

Levi watched her cautiously, looking for any signs of uncertainty or regret that followed her words.

He saw none.

She truly had made her choice and there would be no going back, no, not with how stubborn he knew his subordinate to be.

He gave a nod of acceptance, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, "Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I would expect nothing less from someone that I handpicked for my squad. For what it's worth, you're a brave girl Petra. I'm glad."

"Glad?" she repeated, finding his choice of words odd.

His smirk only widened, "I told you already, that I'm not prepared for you to leave my squad just yet. We still have to perfect the Omega formation after all."

She groaned and rolled her eyes, not certain if he was trying to lighten the mood, but fearing more than anything that he was being serious. She quirked an eyebrow, "Are you trying to get me to quit? You've just made more of a convincing argument with that alone than when you told me that I'm doomed to die alone and unloved, with nothing to look forward to but your latest rendition of the Omega formation."

Levi chuckled and gave an accepting nod, "Worth a shot right?" He stood up from the chair and looked down at Petra seriously, "For real, this is what you want? Once the papers are signed, thanks to those religious fucks there's no going back so-"

Petra gave a simple nod and cut him off with a wave of her hand, "I know. But it's the only path where I'll ever have a say in my future and that's more important to me than, well, you get it. Now, when do you want to make it official?"

Levi moved towards her door, sighing heavily, "It's not exactly like we have time on our side for this. Tomorrow?"

Petra was admittedly surprised by the immediacy of his response, but all things considered, she supposed it made sense and there was no point in putting it off. She gave a simple nod, exhaustion finally washing over her in heavy waves now that the matter was settled, and Levi nodded back, "I'll let Erwin know and he'll get everything in order. You should get some rest."

Levi opened the door, and Petra called out after him, "Uh Captain?"

"Hm?"

"Thanks…you really, really didn't have to do this. You know that, right?"

He paused in step, looking out toward the hall pensively, "…Get some sleep Petra, we've got a long day tomorrow.

…

...

When Petra woke the next morning, she was partially confused as consciousness slowly came to her.

The sun was shining brightly through her window – an oddity considering she was always up before the sun got that high in the sky. In her half-awake state, this puzzled her as she blinked in exhaustion, and she pondered for a few moments why the sun was so bright at such an early time of day. Perhaps the sunrise just came early today?

That had to be it.

She sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes, giving a large yawn as she stretched out her aching limbs.

She was utterly exhausted from her late night, her mind was overwhelmed with all the problems presented to her, and thanks to the Captain's obsession with their new formation, her entire body throbbed. As her mind began to return to full alertness, in an instant she realized that, of course, the sun was not early, she was late.

Hours late.

Giving a groan as she shot herself fully out of bed, she quickly tore off her pajama pants, hopping on one leg toward her closet as she shook the garment off her. She was already pulling up her hair into a ponytail with a frazzled twist of her fingers, noting to herself that brushing it out would just have to come later because she was too late to fuss about it.

Changing as fast as she possibly could into her basic military uniform, Petra ran out of her room as she fumbled with the buttons and moved toward the bathroom, moving into the room and turning on the water, taking time to brush her teeth as fast as humanly possible and eyeing her reflection in frustration as she did so.

Her goal had been to not alert her teammates to any changes or concern them with her situation, but she just had to go and pull a stunt like this. Reality was that yes, her father had thrown a considerable hurdle at her, but all things considered it would be resolved in a way that prevented him from meddling again in the future, so there was no need to alarm them.

Later on today, she would meet with Erwin and Hanji, and she and Levi would –

Her wrist paused in its previous brushing motion and Petra blinked in realization.

That was right, today was her wedding day.

All at once the reality hit her, and it took her breath away. The fact that she knew full well what her intentions were, and also knew herself enough to know that her mind was made up – her stomach churned.

She was getting married today. To Levi.

To her own Captain.

Now moving very slowly as she wrestled with her scattered and weighty thoughts, Petra grabbed the hand towel and wiped her mouth of any remaining toothpaste, halfway in a daze as she set the towel back down, hardly noticing as it slipped inch by inch off the counter until finally falling onto the floor.

She knew that she was making the best choice for herself as it was the only way she could possibly remain in the military and have a say in her future, but even still, knowing what she was giving up to stay tore her heart in every direction.

She was knowingly going against the will of her father, who had gone so far to bring her back home simply out of his obsessive version of love for her. She was knowingly giving up a considerable part of her life that she herself had been looking forward to, intentionally opening one door to her future, while simultaneously closing off another door completely.

Petra closed her eyes in pained contemplation, placing her hands across the sink's surface and gripping the edges tightly until her knuckles turned white.

She was going to marry him, she acknowledged in silent wonder, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

Once she was legally married, that would be it. There would be no meeting this or that guy – no flirting at the bar, no kind stranger that would eventually, hopefully, lead to something more. For the rest of her life there would be no firsts, no petty fights, no butterflies, nothing to cherish with that special someone – she would truly live the rest of her life alone.

Petra coughed as a building sob wracked across her body, the weight of her decision hitting her like a physical blow.

She wanted to stay, she did, but as Levi had so aptly put, the cost of doing so was high, and knowing that she would have to pay that price hurt on a deep, personal level.

She had never imagined that her wedding day would be anything but bliss. She would wear a big white dress, perhaps a string of pearls and beautiful clean shoes that matched her white dress. Her hair would be styled in a complicated and elegant fashion, and her whole family and countless friends would be there with her.

She had always dreamed of a big wedding.

Best of all, a tall, dark, handsome someone would be waiting with a prideful and glowing smile on their face, and she would all but run down the aisle to meet him – her father would have to tug back on her arm to slow her pace, chuckling as he did so. He would tell her how proud he was of her, and that even after all this time she would always be his little girl.

Another sob escaped her, and she hung her head low, chest heaving as she realized that those dreams would, forever and always, just be mere dreams for her.

Fact of the matter was, her marriage was simply for the legal purposes; there was no spark, no romance, no future….

More tears ran down her face as her body trembled, mind struggling to accept with the things that she would have to let go of, in order to keep what she treasured the most.

It just wasn't fair.

No other Scout had been forced to make such a judgement call. No other Scout was given an ultimatum, and no other Scout would have to give up the things she would in order to hold her spot on the squad.

Although…was there any other Scout that had a Captain that would go as far as hers would? Was there any other scout that when placed in such a spot, their Captain would see it through to the end, force an opening where there wasn't one, even if their own cost was also just as high in return?

And yet…Levi hadn't complained. He hadn't begrudged her for her situation, and was willing to tie himself to her permanently, just so she could choose her own fate.

Petra stared down into the sink, allowing herself a few moments to her thoughts; allowing herself to feel the pain that came with making such a choice.

As the minutes passed by, her breathing mellowed and eventually resumed its normal pace. Her tears slowed, and finally stopped completely. She took a few deep breaths and looked back into her reflection, sobering her expression and wiping her eyes that were all the more puffy and red from her breakdown.

A moment of sorrow, an acknowledgement of her feelings to validate her grief - that would be enough.

Knowing the costs, knowing that a part of her would always long for more, knowing that she could always back out, knowing that she could always stay, but finding resolve in that the decision was truly hers to make…

Petra took one last deep breath, splashed a handful of cold water across her face, and resumed getting ready for her day.

...

End of Chapter

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Whew, that's a wrap – and look, no cliff hanger this time! Just a sad depressed Petra who will never get to marry her...*smirk* TALL, dark, handsome someone or other. You know honest to goodness that was not meant to be a pun, but my husband who looks over and edits these things read it, gave me a dark look 'Really? You're pulling that, seriously?' before busting up laughing at the irony of it all. So...sorry Levi. The 'hey Levi's short' joke made it in here after all. No hard feelings buddy.

Anyhow, I'm thinking this next chapter will be updated around the last week of March? I'm kinda liking this biweekly update thing I've got going on. It gives me time to write new content and make it so future updates can keep happening without a lot of hold up, but at the same token makes it so you guys aren't waiting months on end for the latest installment.

Again, lots of love guys! Your comments are awesome so please keep them coming!

Till next time,
Midnight