Mirage
A/N: My eagerness to update so fast is really starting to amaze me. Anyway, yay! Chapter 4! Thank you again for your warm responses to this story!
Summary: Humanity's strongest soldier had secrets of his own. So when the woman he loved died, he turns on another for pure companionship and comfort. But a night of mistake has its consequences. Levihan.
CHAPTER FOUR: CONSORTIUM
Hange Zoe was a mess. But what else is new?
It seemed like a hurricane had just rampaged the entire lab, there was a high stack of papers on her desk, documents that needed urgent attention were piled in a corner but it was clearly evident that they were completely forgotten by the researcher. Sitting on her chair, the brunette was clearly dozing off, her quill pen tucked behind her right ear. No matter how hard she tried to concentrate on her work, the idea of sleep seemed to be an agenda she needed to indulge in. At least for the moment.
Even with the sun at its highest peak outside, she found her eyelids were becoming really heavy, but she needed to finish the report about her experiment on Eren Jaeger's Titan-shifting abilities, or else Erwin will burst through her door right now and start preaching.
A yawn escaped her lips. She flung her arms into the air to stretch and fight the urge to sleep. Hange flexed her muscles a little, pulled the quill pen which was previously tucked behind her ear, and then started scribbling.
She started detailing about how Eren could transform into different sizes. Although he usually transformed into a 15-meter class, there was one point where the Titan that came out was quite deformed. And up until now, it's still too hard for him to be controlled as the urge to kill Titans was still dominating him. Wrath and anger seemed to be the only things that his transformed demeanour kept in mind.
She knew the boy had only achieved some really little progress but despite that, he was still determined to continue. He never for a second lost hope that somehow, someday, humanity will reclaim the Earth again, and Hange admired him for that.
The scientist had taken her latest experiment to the fullest as she knew it's probably going to be her last in a long, long while. Erwin had advised her to just be on desk duty from now on and no matter how hard she tried to argue and change his mind, she was winning none of the argument. Levi backed his decision and was pretty much annoyed when Erwin, unable to contain Hange's occasional pleas and kneeling any longer, finally let the scientist conduct her last experiment on Eren before she agreed to just be on desk duty.
But all throughout the experiment yesterday, she noticed that Levi kept himself at a close distance to her, and with every move she made, she always felt his eyes heavy on her back.
Once she finished the report, Hange let out a deep sigh, then interlaced her fingers together. She glanced at the pile of paperworks to review beside her. Normally, looking over those documents wasn't such a heavy task for her, and she loved every minute she spent reading those lab reports. But with her current state, the task seemed to be a boulder crashing behind her back.
The frequent headaches and dizziness had stopped, thank goodness, but the compensation was a lot more terrible than those two. She started having morning sickness, and earlier she just threw up almost everything. Her stomach started rejecting foods she normally ate and craved for something sour.
As she just sat there and stared, her slightly apprehensive mind started wandering. She felt sleepy again, her eyelids becoming heavier and heavier by the minute. But just before sleep finally conquered her, she heard a sudden knock at the door. It opened and revealed a short, dark-haired man with a tray of food in his hands.
Levi entered the room with the usual scowl plastered on his face and went straight to where she was sitting, casually ignoring the mess that the place is in. The man thoroughly pushed the things on her desk aside and replaced them with the tray on his hands. "Eat," he uttered, cold tone and all.
Hange stared at the food before her. Her stomach growled, but as soon as the pungent smell of the food hit her nostrils, she pushed the dish a little and placed a hand before her nose as if to shield it from the odor. "No thanks, I just ate. I'm not hungry,"
"You're not a good liar, Shitty Glasses. You threw up everything you ate earlier." Levi picked the spoon and shoved it to her hands. He then pulled a chair and sat beside her. "Eat it before it gets cold. Or do you still want me to feed you like a helpless brat?" he sheered with a little disdain in his voice.
"Geez, will you? I'm feeling kind of lazy at the moment. Will you, Lance Corporal Shorty?" the woman gritted her teeth as she saw the small dent that formed on Levi's forehead. Oh, how she missed making fun of the infuriated man. These days they were just full of melancholic and dramatic moments, she missed the occasional banter with him back when things aren't complicated as they are now between them.
"Just shut up and eat." Levi crossed his arms before his chest.
Hange looked down on the food and shoved the spoon into it. "But it smells spoiled… Looks like it, too."
"It's definitely not spoiled. Your pregnancy is just kicking in, you idiot." Levi snorted, and watched as Hange ate the food with a disgusted look on her face. They stayed in silence for a while.
It had been a full month since Hange revealed that she was pregnant and they engaged themselves in a heated argument in his room, and also after the incident in Erwin's office where they both made their decision. They're having the baby, and they'll be facing the consequences of their actions. But in order for them to have the child and still serve in the Survey Corps, both of them had agreed on one point.
They're getting married.
Levi Ackerman, humanity's strongest, and Hange Zoe, humanity's smartest, will live together as husband and wife, for the sake of the child they conceived by mistake. It was a hard decision but they only had one choice. They need to play the cards carefully.
Erwin had already told the higher ups about their dilemma, and of course, being the Machiavellian man that he was, he twisted a few facts to get their favour.
Hange and Levi had already announced their marriage to the entire Survey Corps a week ago, explaining that it wasn't a whirlwind romance and that their relationship had been going on for ages, much to Levi's chagrin. But as Erwin devised, this was a strategy so that the soldiers will not suspect a thing about their arrangement. Although most of them were quite puzzled, others who have been oblivious to their relationship, and are probably new recruits, just shrugged off the announcement.
But the other veterans have also been quite hard to convince, especially Mike and Nanaba, whom they've also shared closeness with. As Hange joked, Mike's nose was impossible to escape and eventually they had to tell the two.
Once Hange finished the food, she turned to look at Levi, who had been staring at her. She studied the man before her, and she realized, even though the man barely expressed any emotions and was usually cold, Hange could read the man like an open book. He had been deep in thoughts, and she wouldn't have to guess what he was thinking. She knew. "Are you ready for tomorrow?" she eventually asked, her tone demanding for an answer.
Levi's face still displayed no emotion. "I'm always ready for anything, you know that."
"Yes, but this isn't a battle with the Titans, Levi." She tucked her fist under her chin. "Tomorrow, you and I will not be just comrades or even friends anymore. Tomorrow, we'll be husband and wife on paper and to everyone else around us." she bit her lip as she continued to look at Levi. "Doesn't that scare you?"
When he didn't answer, she continued. "I know how you feel about me, you never really liked me. I hate that we'll be tied to each other when it was obvious that you loathed the woman that I am…"
"I don't," his answer was quick. His eyes, which were normally sinister-looking, softened a bit. "Don't ever think about that, Shitty Glasses."
A man of few words, he is. But she understood. "Yeah, right. But let me continue. We don't love each other, Levi. The marriage is going to be hard. So we'll just try to be casual and civil," She smiled at him. "That's the best thing we could do."
"Whatever you say." Levi eyed her with a cold look once more before he stood up and gathered the dishes, placing them on the tray. "I'll head off. If you need anything, you know where to find me." The man turned his back on her and left.
The soft humming of the early birds was the only audible sound in that peaceful morning.
Hange's eyes fluttered open. She felt the heat of the sunlight touching her bare long legs as she rolled over the bed to flip off the blanket that covered her body. Flanging her arms into the air to stretch, a yawn escaped her lips. She grabbed her eyeglasses which was placed on the bedside table, put it on, and stood up.
She was on her way to get some clean clothes and take a bath when she heard a knock on the door. The knocking was consistent, but it suddenly stopped. She proceeded to open her cabinet and managed to grab a blouse and pants and headed off to take a bath.
After taking a bath, she managed to slip in her clothes. But then, she heard the knock again, slightly louder this time. For a minute there, Hange thought of never answering the door, but immediately dismissed the thought as she assumed that maybe it was something urgent.
The brunette groaned but walked to the door to confront whoever her early morning visitor is. She grabbed the knob and pulled it, expecting to see maybe Moblit or any other men from her squad, but instead the glowing and smiling face of Nanaba tumbled before her.
"Good morning, Hange! I didn't wake you up, did I?" The Squad Leader with short blonde hair, said with a cheery tone.
Hange tried to return the smile. "I just woke up, I'm sorry I couldn't answer the door sooner," At that moment, she suddenly realized that the woman before her was clutching something behind her back, but she couldn't clearly see what it was. "So, ugh. What brought you here, Nanaba?"
"Have you completely forgotten?" Nanaba's eyes widened, but she shrugged it off as she walked inside. Hange stared at her with confused eyes as she saw the short-haired woman dumping a pile of white dresses on her bed.
"And what the flipping heck are those?!"
"Dresses to choose from. Hange, it is your wedding day! Or have you forgotten that you're getting married today?" Nanaba had her hands on the either sides of her waist.
The scientist managed to smile a little. Yes. She's getting married today, she knew that. But she wanted this day to go as smoothly as the other days of her life did. This is nothing special. She's just doing this for the sake of her child. So she had decided to just wear the one thing that will remind her that things will just be fine – her Survey Corps uniform. "No, I haven't forgotten. How could I? But honestly, Nanaba, I don't really know what all the fuss is about. I see no point in dressing so casually." Hange sighed. "I'm just getting married, and you know the very reason why I'm doing this in the first place. It's not like something special is involved here."
Nanaba fell completely silent for a moment, mirroring the woman that she usually is while in the presence of the other younger soldiers – stoic, quiet and cold. Just like Hange, Levi, Mike, and the other veterans, even Erwin, they all have their own sides only few people knew about, only those they really considered comrades and friends. In the case of Nanaba, while she displayed a cold appearance all the time, she is actually soft and had a womanly side in her. "I know that. But Hange… This is supposedly the happiest day of your life. At least choose one dress to wear. These are all simple, and I know you'll like even one of them. Just try," When she saw Hange nod, Nanaba's smile grew wide. "And please do it fast. I still need to do your hair. When was the last time you touched a comb?"
Hange laughed sincerely for the first time in over a month. "Thank you for this, Nanaba." She started sorting out the dresses laid before her, and after a few moments, she finally managed to choose one. Nanaba helped her get into it.
It was a simple white dress, with a small portion of its hem already torn. It flowed smoothly down her slim body which was battered with ten years' worth of training, and the dress also enveloped her barely noticeable curves perfectly.
It kind of embarrassed her, really, for this is the first time that she's going to show more of her to people. She normally preferred to wear men's clothes, even back then. Her hair was always dishevelled and a haggard look was plastered on her face almost all the time. Her profile is lanky, thanks to her height. Some said she almost looked like a man, and several times did people actually mistake her for a guy.
But now, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she knew that the woman in her reflection is very much different from who she really is. The dress was just icing on the cake. Nanaba had tied her hair in a bun, and although Hange dreaded the idea, seeing the outcome did manage to make her like it.
"Can you ditch the glasses just for this day?" Nanaba asked as she made some finishing touches on her hair.
"No. Unless you want me to trip so many times before I even reach where the wedding is taking place, or to even get lost, I say that it's for the better for me to keep it."
"Now you sound like Levi,"
"Well, I'm supposed to. I'm carrying his child, after all." Hange sat on the bed and gritted her teeth.
The wedding took place at the backyard of the Headquarters, which, to Hange's surprise, was very neatly organized and was very far from the mess that it was previously in – with tall bushes and scraps of materials scattered. Everything was in place, there were a few chairs for people who wished to attend, and the aisle was lined with wild flowers.
People who are mostly from the Military had started to gather. From where Hange was standing, she noticed Dot Pixis sitting in one of the chairs, talking with Darius Zackley. Other people from the Higher House were sitting with them.
From what she and Levi had talked about, the wedding was actually supposed to be a small event, with only a few witnesses to justify their marriage. She didn't know it was going to be a big affair with all the Higher ups attending. She started getting nervous. Beads of sweat started to roll down her forehead, and coldness started to creep in her chest.
"Hange?" A voiced behind her cleared its throat and she heard her name slip from its lips. She spun around and saw Erwin, his eyes a little wide. "My, don't you look beautiful?"
"Save it, Commander." She hissed. "Why are people from the Higher Office here? Didn't we agree on just a small affair?"
Erwin moved closer to her. "I'm sorry. Zackley insisted to see the wedding," He sighed. "I've told you before, they will not let this pass. They have to see the whole thing," The Commander grabbed her arm and interlaced it with his'. "Levi is up front, with the priest. We'll start the moment you're ready."
"I am ready," Hange said, almost whispered. Her grip on his arm tightened a bit as she prepared to take a step. "Erwin, please don't let me fall."
The man smiled. "Never,"
Once they started walking, all noise from the people started to fade, and the only thing she heard was the beating of her heart, hammering wildly on her chest. People craned their necks in her direction, all in awe at the simple beauty who was walking the aisle, as tugged by Erwin. Hange swallowed. Hard. Her breathing seemed labored, and she let out a breath to ease the tension in her chest.
Erwin whispered in her ear. "Relax, Hange,"
"How can I relax? You're not the one getting married here," she sounded irritated, and at the moment, she wanted to hit Erwin in the face.
The Commander seemed completely unfazed as he tried to stifle a chuckle. "Hold on, we're almost there."
Hange braced herself, and forcibly looked up from her feet. The moment they started walking, she had never, ever dared to look up to see Levi. But then, as she moved her head to see the man she was about to marry, all hesitations and doubts left her mind, as she was completely in awe of the man waiting for her.
Levi wore a white button-up shirt and black pants, his cravat in place. His usual cold look was plastered in his face, but she could completely see that his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were softly locked with hers. He bit his bottom lip in an attempt to distract himself.
Behind him, Hange saw Mike, his face goofy as he grinned at her. His face looked funny but Hange didn't laugh, her focus was on Levi.
At last, their steps came to a halt. Levi held out his hand. Erwin took hers and, in a symbol as old as the world, placed it in Levi's. She touched his hand and felt the warmness of his skin, and memories of the night they shared came flashing back in her mind. It was wrong, but she couldn't help but smile. Levi's face was still flushed as he led her to face the priest.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today, to celebrate two wonderful people who have managed to find each other in this sometimes seemingly cold world, and pledge their hearts," the priest started.
Hange winced at every word that the priest uttered, but kept it to herself nonetheless. Levi stiffened beside her but he remained expressionless.
The whole ceremony seemed to go on as the two of them remained frozen in their places, not uttering a word, and just listening to what the priest said. Until it's time to utter their vows.
Levi held her hand with little hesitance in his voice. "I, Levi Ackerman…" he softly said, repeating the priest's words. "Take you, Hange Zoe, to be my wife, for better for worse, for richer or poorer… In sickness and in health… To love and to cherish as long as we both shall live," there was a pause as Levi slipped the ring into her finger. "This is my solemn vow."
Hange bit her lip. She repeated Levi's words and slipped the ring in his finger. "As long as we both shall live," she whispered, a little soft that the priest didn't hear it, but Levi did. He eyed her for a moment, her hands still in his, and she could have sworn that he squeezed them a little.
"Do you promise to uphold the vows you've made here today, witnessed by your comrades and friends?"
"I do," he said.
"I do," she whispered.
"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest uttered with cheer in his voice.
She could clearly see the hesitation in his face, but he did it anyway. He leaned forward, and Hange closed her eyes, anticipating his lips on hers. Levi cupped her face, and instead of kissing her lips, he pressed his lips against her forehead, long enough for the people to beam with cheers.
The celebration went on for the whole day, lots of foods were prepared and booze were served every now and then. The entire cafeteria was buzzing. The soldiers were pretty much enjoying themselves, even the new recruits were having fun.
In the midst of it all, Levi never spoke a word. His eyes followed Hange everywhere, never letting her out of his sight. It was pretty easy to spot a woman sporting a white dress, after all. She seemed to be enjoying the day, too. She had occasional talks with some of the women soldiers, and had fun with some of the men. She displayed the kind of person she is, quirky and loud.
And he felt a little glad about that. Just because they're married, doesn't mean that things have to change, he kept saying it to himself.
The band on his finger glowed, and he looked down on it.
He's finally married. Wrong timing, wrong place, and wrong woman.
But he'll see.
The party, if that's what's it's supposed to be called, went on through the night. It's getting late but everyone still seemed to be having fun, even Erwin, who sat with Mike and enjoyed some talk while drinking. Levi started to scan the crowd for Hange, and he spotted her with the 104th. She was laughing with Armin, Jean, Mikasa and Eren as they watched Connie and Sasha fight for the food in their table.
He walked towards the group. "Hange, it's getting pretty late. I think it's probably best for us to retire."
Hange looked up to him and blinked twice. "B-but…" she looked at the younger soldiers.
"It's okay, Ms. Hange…" Eren beamed at her and Levi. "We understand, you two have to…. You know…"
Hange let out a nervous chuckle. Her cheeks flushed. "Oh Eren, it's nothing like that!" she turned to Levi. "But you're right, Levi. It's probably best for us go now. I'll see you tomorrow." she stood up. Levi had already turned his back to them and she followed him.
They silently walked through the hallways, and Hange was unsure of where they're heading. Their steps echoed through the area. He broke the silence after it had become so deafening. "Have you been drinking?" he said, his cold tone piercing through.
"No, we were just talking…"
"Good."
"Levi, if you don't mind… Can I… ask where we're going?"
"To my room," Levi stated. "You'll be staying in my room for now on. I asked Nanaba and Mike earlier to move your things to my quarters."
She was stunned. "E-Everything?"
"Yeah, pretty much." Their walk came to a halt when they reached the door to his room. He turned the knob and opened it. "But if there is something they missed, you can go to your room and get it."
Levi stepped aside to let her into his room, and she walked inside. She shivered as a sudden chill seemed to blow her way.
"Cold?" Levi asked as he sat on the bed to take off his shoes. Once he finished taking them off, he pulled his cravat and left one too many buttons open at the top of his button-up shirt.
"No, I'm not." Hange scanned the room. She walked towards the cabinet and opened it, revealing her neatly folded clothes, and some of her blouses were hanging alongside his clothes. "Must've been a lot of work for Nanaba and Mike."
He snorted. "Yeah. But they didn't care. They needed some time alone together," he craned his neck and stretched a bit. "In the meantime, your room will be vacated, and we'll put some stuffs that we don't need in there. Before you give birth, I'll make sure that the room is cleaned so we can use it as a nursery."
Hange crossed her arms. "Wow, you've really thought through this."
"I should. Civil and casual, right?"
She smiled at him. "Thank you, Levi. I know you don't like me and-"
"Instead of blabbering about how I don't like you, why don't you just start showing me that you're a person worth liking? Stop looking down at yourself, Hange. This isn't you. Just because we're married doesn't mean things have to change between us, you yourself said that."
Hange bit her lip. He was right. "So are we… Consummating the marriage?" she knew her question was ridiculous, and completely out of the blue but she wanted to ease things between them.
Levi chuckled. "The last time I checked, Four Eyes, the marriage has already been consummated." He laid down his bed, and tapped his side. "We're both tired. Let's just sleep on it for tonight."