"You really hold your alcohol well for someone your size, huh?" Pyxis said. He swung an arm around the shoulders of the person at his side. The red flush on his cheeks shifted as he grinned. "How about running away with me? You didn't happen to come here with anyone, did you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," Celine said. She gifted Pyxis with a playful wink. "You'd also have to be a lot wealthier for me to consider running off with a bald lush like yourself."

"Ha! You're so cruel!" Pyxis said with a barking laugh. "I'm going to fall in love with you if you keep being so mean!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Celine said, her smile turning coy as she lifted her wine glass. "I can talk to you like an insignificant worm for the rest of the night if you have any more bottles of this sensational vintage to share."

"You have a deal!"

Celine and Pyxis threw back their heads in laughter. Two figures dressed in formal military garb were leaning against the wall on the other side of the crowded room. They watched the interaction in stunned silence.

"What the hell did I just see?" Jean said.

"That's … a good question," Marco said. "I didn't even know Celine and Premier Pyxis knew each other."

"Oi!"

Jean and Marco turned their heads. Across the apartment Levi had snatched someone's wine glass off the table before putting it back down with a napkin underneath.

"If a single drop of this gets in the woodgrain," Levi said, his eyes narrowing, "I'm going to expect you to polish it."

"S-sure," the dark-haired woman said. She exchanged a nervous glance with the friend at her side. The two women flinched when Levi sized them up before turning away.

"This is a wedding reception, right?" Jean said. "The only other one I've been to was for my cousin, but this is … weird."

Marco let out a nervous chuckle. "Celine had always been a little different. At least everyone seems to be having a good time."

"You think?" Jean said, taking a sip of wine. "It looks like Captain Levi is about to throw the next person who gets crumbs on his rug out a window."

"Ah … well …" Marco said, grasping at straws in an attempt to make a positive statement.

"And now he's your brother-in-law," Jean said. He placed a comforting hand on Marco's shoulder. "I don't envy you one bit."

"He's not … so bad," Marco said. His eyes scanned the room until he spotted Levi leaning against the fireplace. Hange was talking to him in an animated manner which Levi appeared to be ignoring entirely. Marco followed Levi's line of sight to the group who'd just walked through the door.

Commander Nile Dawk stood beside a plump woman with curly red hair falling over her shoulders. His hand rested on the arm of one of the two young girls sporting their own mass of red curls. The girls talked excitedly with Celine as she crouched down to allow small fingers to run over the intricate white lace pattern of her gown. When Celine stood a moment later, she was pulled into a hug by the woman with red hair, Nile reaching up to ruffle the crown of Celine's head as she laughed.

Marco's eyes drifted back to Levi. The dour expression on Levi's face had shifted into a gentle smile. He didn't make a move to approach Celine, seemingly content to watch her converse with Nile and his family in a lively fashion.

"It's a little sudden," Marco said. The worry in his mind melted away. "However, I don't think it's a terrible match. Captain Levi can be a bit irritable, but he's a good person overall."

Jean hummed. They watched as Marco's father approached Levi and Hange. The latter flung her arm around Samuel as she began to lament over the loss of their 'little girl.' They began to converse in a manner conveying Samuel wasn't entirely comfortable with the close contact.

"Is your dad okay with it?" Jean asked.

"I think Captain Levi scares him a bit," Marco said, shifting his weight. "They seem to get along alright, though. And … uh … Dad had given up on the idea of Celine ever getting married, so he is kinda happy it actually happened."

"Gee," Jean said, lids drooping. "I wonder what would ever give him that impression?"

Marco chuckled. "Thanks for sticking around, Jean. I know being here isn't incredibly exciting; hopefully the others will be back with more food, soon."

Jean shrugged, taking a sip of wine. The look on his face conveyed he hated the taste entirely. Jean had always been one for keeping up appearances though, something Marco had already conveyed wasn't necessary.

"It isn't a problem," Jean said. "I've been meaning to ask you something, anyway – has Eren been acting differently to you?"

The smile on Marco's face faltered. "Different? I'm not sure what you mean."

Jean kept his gaze straight ahead, the grip on his glass intensifying. "I know Ymir said she's been feeling off since she became the Armored Titan. I've noticed her staring into space a few times like she's seeing something we can't. She also asked Armin the other day how he thought Bertholdt might be doing. That definitely wasn't like her."

Marco studied Jean as his friend sighed and helped himself to more wine.

"I guess it's a little unusual," Marco said. "But the Commander said anything like that should be temporary, right?"

"Right," Jean said. His gaze grew downcast as he stared at his glass. "Eren will be the same. If there's something about him that seems different than before, it's probably because of Annie's feelings."

The scene around Marco faded into unintelligible murmurs and blurs of color. The only thing he could focus on was Jean and the way his friend wouldn't meet his gaze.

"Jean," Marco said, the word sticking to his tongue. "Do you know about …?"

"You're my best friend, Marco," Jean said. "We've spent a lot of time together, and I've picked up a fair number of things about you … including stuff you probably thought no one would notice. I'm not nearly as close with Eren as I am with you, but I've known him long enough to take in the subtle changes. His hand-to-hand combat has improved overnight, and he's been getting touchier with Mikasa fussing over him than he used to. The way he looks at you … it's the same as Annie, too. I just don't want you to get hurt when it passes."

Time seemed to slow when Jean turned and held Marco's gaze. A knot twisted in Marco's stomach as he took in the dejected expression.

"Oh ..."

"Marc …"

"Marco!"

Marco's eyes fluttered. He flinched as someone clasped his elbow.

"Come on, Marco!" Celine said. She tugged on Marco's arm, urging him to follow. "I have to introduce you to Isabell and Emma! They're my friends from the Engineering Corps, and they want to hear the story about that time you saved me from the Titan in Trost. Remember when I threw roof tiles at its head? They said I was making that part up …"

Marco offered a final glance to Jean. His friend kept his eyes locked with his before Marco turned away.

A heavy effort was made for Marco to do his best mimicking the smiling faces around him as he chatted. It was easy enough to pretend he didn't notice some time later when Eren and the other members of his squad returned with candies and stuffed breads from the confection shop. When Eren would navigate through the crowd to head in his direction, Marco would come up with an excuse to move to the opposite end of the room. He did everything in his power to avoid looking Eren in the eyes; to put off confirming whether what Jean had said was true.

"Oi."

Marco flinched. He'd been near the window, watching Celine as she carried Suzy on her hip. Celine fawned over the dimples on the baby's cheeks when she tickled the girl to make her smile. It looked like a pleasant scene; Marco would've joined his sisters had Celine not currently been conversing with Eren, Armin, and Mikasa.

"You've crossed the length of my home six times," Levi said. He wore his usual stoic expression when Marco turned to regard him. "Just watching you has worn me out."

"S-sorry," Marco said, forcing a smile. "There's just been … a lot of people here I want to see."

Levi didn't appear to buy the explanation. Marco had some apprehension over if he was going to follow up on the notion, but to his surprise, Levi changed the subject.

"You have good judgment of character."

"Huh?" Marco said, taken aback.

Someone's told me that before.

"Ah …" Marco said, somewhat embarrassed. "Thank you, Captain."

Levi's gaze drifted across the room. "You made the right call about Annie Leonheart. I've also heard about the impact you made in Celine's life. You seem to have a knack for seeing things beyond a surface level. I apologize for how I used to think of you before."

Wait, Marco thought, suddenly self-conscious. What opinion did Captain Levi used to have of me?

The way Levi looked back to Marco implied he was expecting an acknowledgment to the apology.

"It's fine, Captain," Marco said with a nervous smile. "Really! I don't harbor any negative feelings toward you. I just …"

Eren's determined expression flashed before Marco's eyes.

I shouldn't be afraid to speak what's on my mind.

"I don't think you will," Marco said, hardening his expression. "But if you do anything to purposely hurt Celine, I'll make you regret it a thousand times over."

Levi tilted his head. "That's the least intimidating threat I've ever heard. It's a good thing it's unnecessary."

For a moment Marco could've sworn Levi smiled at him before the expression was gone. Levi stepped away from his side to head toward the middle of the room. He pulled a bandana from the pocket of his suit, tying it over his hair with a flourish before raising his voice.

"This whole thing has gone on long enough. If you're not going to help clean – get out."

"You heard Captain Levi Bodt!" Celine said, raising a glass of wine into the air. "For the rest of us – let's take this celebration to the closest pub!"

"Not you," Levi said, catching Celine's arm as she tried to head for the door.

As expected, most of the guests cleared out. Marco and the members of Levi's squad stuck around to help wash glasses and sweep. Hange had also volunteered before Levi flatly rejected the offer and threw her out. A short time later Celine insisted everyone go home for the night despite Levi's grumbles that the cleaning wasn't finished.

"They're our guests, not our maids," Celine said. She pushed Marco and the others toward the door, their arms filled with bags of pastries, fruit, and candy. "Don't worry – you'll learn the intricacies of being a gracious host soon enough."

Marco couldn't help but join the others as they suppressed laughter over the repulsed look on Levi's face. His elbow was caught before crossing the threshold, Marco getting pulled into a tight hug as Celine got on her toes to wrap her arms around his shoulders.

"Thank you for being here, Marco," Celine said. She squeezed him tighter. "You don't know how much it means to me. Be well, Mr. Seventh-in-his-class."

It was the early hours of the morning when Marco and the others walked down the silent streets. Summer was shifting into fall, leaving a slight chill in the air.

"If there's one thing I never would've guessed I'd do in my life," Jean said, his hands tucked behind his head. "It was that. On the other hand, it gives hope to guys like me; if Captain Levi can find a wife, there's no reason I can't."

"I can think of plenty," Eren said. He waved his hands as Jean whipped about. "Kidding! Kidding!"

"This guy …" Jean said, muttering under his breath.

"It was a nice ceremony though, right?" Armin said, trying to redirect Jean's attention. "The whole thing was pretty simple, but I got a sense they really care for each other."

"From what?" Jean said with a scoff. "All the Captain said for his vows was – 'my actions show more than my words, so never take your eyes off me.' That was super cringy; what girl wants to hear that?"

"It was to the point," Mikasa said, keeping her gaze ahead. "I liked it fine."

Jean flinched. He turned his head away to hide the flush on his cheeks. "S-sure, I guess I can see why some girls would be into that." Jean cleared his throat. "Oi, Marco – are you staying at my place? It's closer than going back to Headquarters."

"Thanks for the offer," Marco said. "But I'm going back to my dad's house here in Trost. The two of us are helping Celine move more of her belongings in the afternoon."

Jean gave Marco a hearty pat on the back. "That sister of yours isn't good enough for you, Marco. Anyway – I'll see you all around." He gave a wave over his shoulder as he turned down a side street. The remainder of the group kept along the main road until reaching a crossroads.

"Thank you all for helping out, again," Marco said, his gratitude shining through. "I can tell my sister really appreciated having you there. Have a safe walk home, everyone."

"I'll come with you."

The cheerful feeling faltered as Marco watched Eren step forward.

"Come on," Eren said. "It'll be safer to not walk back to your dad's home alone."

Mikasa nodded, following Eren. "Eren's right. We'll make sure you get home alright."

"No."

Eren turned to regard Mikasa. Her approach came to a stop under his listless gaze.

"There's something I want to talk to Marco about," Eren said. "You and Armin head back."

Mikasa raised a hand to clutch at the red scarf around her neck. Hurt washed over her face as Eren continued to watch her in a way indicating he wasn't going to budge. She dropped her gaze.

"It's alright, Mikasa," Armin said, trying to lift the mood. "We know Eren will get back to Headquarters okay. Right, Eren?"

"It'll be fine," Eren said. He handed the bag he had in hand off to Armin. "I'll see you guys later."

Armin and Marco were in the same boat of forcing a smile when they waved to one another in parting. Mikasa shot a sullen glance over her shoulder before she followed Armin.

'… he's been getting touchier with Mikasa fussing over him than he used to.'

The words Jean had spoken before rose from Marco's subconscious. He quickly fought to push the memory down.

Marco and Eren walked in silence for long enough to make it obvious Marco had no intention of starting a conversation. Eren furrowed his brow as he took in Marco staring at the glow fading in and out of the cobblestones as street lamps passed by.

"What's going on with you?" Eren asked. "You've been acting really out of it."

"A-ah …" Marco rubbed the back of his head in a bashful fashion. "Nothing, really. I guess I'm just tired."

Eren stuffed his hands in his pockets, eyes narrowing. "You suck at lying; you won't even look me in the eye."

Marco's head turned in a reluctant manner. He scanned Eren's face as if searching for something.

"Look," Eren said. He turned away with a sigh. "If it's about what's going on between us, I don't want you to freak out about it. I don't really know what's going on, either, so just–"

"Why?"

Eren looked back to Marco with a frown. "Why what?"

"Why don't you know?" Marco said, a sudden intensity behind his gaze. "Are you feeling conflicted? Like part of you wants there to be something more between us, and another part … doesn't?"

The pair came to a stop. Marco was sized up with a heavy level of suspicion.

"I told you," Eren said. "This whole thing is pretty new to me. Not just with you – in general, you know? Are you going to judge me for having some reservations?"

"It's not that," Marco said. The hands at his side formed into fists. "You're a decisive person, Eren. The confidence you put behind your decisions is something I admire about you. You're an inspiration to watch even during the times you take things too far. So when I see you doubting your own judgment, it makes me feel you're not acting like yourself."

Eren crossed his arms. "Sorry to break your image of me Marco, but I'm not some little golden child. I have as many doubts as anyone else; I'm just gifted at convincing myself the path I've chosen is the right one. I'm the kind of person who feels there's no point in moving forward with something if I'm not going all out. The difference now is this situation doesn't revolve around just me. I've always been sort of a loner, so learning to open myself up to someone else like this is hard."

Marco's eyes grew wide, reflecting the light from the streetlamps. "A loner? Eren – you've always had Armin and Mikasa at your side. What are you talking about?"

Something alarming flashed through Eren's chest. He dismissed it with a shrug. "That doesn't matter. You're missing the point."

Marco's expression turned grim. "Eren … you said you started thinking more about the two of us being together after Reiner tried to kidnap you. Before that, when I … when I kissed you, you weren't looking at me like that was something you wanted."

"You came at me out of nowhere!" Eren said, growing defensive. "Of course, I was a little weirded out by it. You seriously can't blame me for that."

Marco clenched his jaw. "Eren, just tell me – did you feel the same way about me as you do now before the attack heading to Calaneth?"

A feeling of uncertainty Eren didn't welcome at all swam through his stomach. "What the hell kind of question is that? I don't know – I did a lot of thinking after that."

"So do you think …" Marco said, his voice wavering. "... everything you feel is because of Annie?"

A moment passed in silence. Eren regarded Marco as if he'd lost his mind.

"Because of Annie?" Eren said. "Are you serious? What the hell does Annie have to do with this?"

Marco fished for something in his pocket. He pulled out a metal ring, holding it up to the light. "My sister told me Annie was going to confess she liked me as more than just a friend. Annie never got around to it. I'm worried that … how you are now … it's just Annie's last wishes. And once time passes and Annie's influence starts to fade away … so will whatever feelings you have for me."

It'd been awhile since Eren had found himself overwhelmed with anger. He bared his teeth, raising his voice. "Is that what you think? Do you think I'm being controlled like a puppet? Do you think I can't even identify my own thoughts and emotions?!"

"Of course not!" Marco said, growing distressed as he raised his hands. "It's just that … you can't seem to identify why your feelings changed, and–"

"It was when you said the people you respect the most are the ones at your level," Eren said. He took a step forward, holding Marco's stare. "You told me the biggest differences in your life were made by people like me who stay true to themselves. That's when I knew I wanted to be closer to you."

Marco's lip trembled. A tear welled up in the corner of his eye before rolling down his cheek. He took a moment to compose himself before speaking.

"I never said that to you, Eren."

It was like water had been thrown over a flame. Eren took a step back, his balance suddenly unsteady. "What are you talking about? I remember it happening."

Marco chuckled, although he didn't seem happy about it. He wiped his face with his sleeve. "You remember it because it happened to Annie. That's something I said just before she was taken into custody in Stohess. Marlo, Hitch, and Boris were there … they'd remember me saying it."

Eren took another step back, uncertain. "No way … Who else was there? It was …"

"It's okay, Eren," Marco said with a gentle smile. "I think if we try to move forward with this, it'll just make it more confusing for the both of us. Let's go back to how we were before – I was happy that way, too."

"Oi!" Eren snatched Marco's hand in a frantic fashion. "Don't just make that sort of decision on your own! I don't want to go back! Just give me … some time."

Marco gave Eren's hand a squeeze. He released his grip and backed away. "I think it'll be good if we don't see each other for a while. I'll make sure to say goodbye before you head outside the walls. Be well, Eren."

"Hey!"

Eren's cry didn't sway Marco into looking back. He continued to walk away in a steady fashion as his figure melted into the shadows.

"Marco!" Eren said. The desire to run after Marco became suppressed by a thought.

It won't do any good. Marco will sacrifice himself to make others happy. If he feels this is the best for you, he'll never change his mind.

Tears rolled down Eren's cheeks. He covered his face with his hands.

"Was that thought even mine?" he said. He squeezed his eyes closed, baring his teeth. "What the hell? Am I even crying because I want to?!"

Eren raised his head. He found himself regarding a darkened window, staring back at his crazed expression.

If these tears aren't even mine … then why does it have to hurt so damn much?