The Red String of Fate

For The Boy Who Never Had a Father, and The Man Who Lost His Child.

The Day Before the Wedding of Armin Arlert and Annie Leonhardt, Groom's Room.

Levi sighed as he listened to the arguments of the rest of the men in the room, while keeping his hand on Armin's shoulder as the younger man cried. "I'm sorry, Armin. But it seems these dumbasses have us cornered." he mumbled as he looked at the group - Falco, Connie, Reiner, Jean, and now even Sarina was there after having decided the men's night out sounded much more fun than what the girls had planned. "Until Niccolo gets here, we're simply outnumbered."

"B-but... I don't want to. I-Its so unfair to Annie and the other girls! And for those poor women too..." Armin stuttered, as he felt Levi's grip on his shoulder tighten. He heard another sigh out of Levi, "I-it's my wedding! Isn't this supposed to be about me!" he demanded while looking at the other guys, and Sarina.

"Oh wahh" Sarina mocked, "look at me, I'm Armin and I'm a sweet innocent boy who's afraid of seeing a naked woman"

"I-it's not like that!" Armin exclaimed. "I just think it's unfair to women, and it would be unfair to Annie. Besides! I thought we agreed on staying in and playing cards and..."

"No," Connie interrupted. "You and the Captain decided we were staying stuffed up here on your last night to live a little"

"I'm not your Captain anymore," Levi corrected them, "and I agree with Armin, sex workers are treated unfairly and -"

He was quickly cut off by Jean, "OK but, when is the next time Armin is going to get a pretty girl to dance on him?"

Levi could feel the anger boiling inside him. He brought his voice back down to a deadpan, and looked at Jean. "Are you saying my cousin isn't pretty? you want a pretty girl to dance on you?" He mocked him with his tone and words, and they cut Jean to the core. "Tch. I'm sure Mikasa would love that. In fact, let's go tell Mikasa what you all want to do tonight! Oh! - and Annie, we can't forget about the bride, I'm sure she'll be pleased to know you all are coercing her sweet fiancee..." He turned his eyes to Reiner, who was trying to act neutral to the situation, "lets not forget about sweet little Pieck! She's possessive, right Reiner? After the whole Historia incident?" Levi smiled as he turned to Falco, "let's not forget about Gabi..."

He could see their Adam's apples bobbing as they swallowed, he could practically see the sweat on their foreheads in fear that he and Armin were going to out them for their planned escapades. "And while you all get railed by your respective partners, Armin and I will be up here, enjoying playing cards and spending time with each other - instead of distracting the girls from what's supposed to be the calmest evening they've ever had." Levi turned and looked at Armin, who still had tears in his eyes but now was smiling. "I'm sure the strong, beautiful, insane women we chose to be with- the only women who can handle us, let me remind you - will be thrilled by the prospect of missing their peaceful, relaxing evening together"

Sarina huffed, and deepened her voice, "Oh, Look at me, the great Captain Levi, ever the moral compass! So virtuous! I totally didn't kill two men the other night..." she chuckled, and went back to her normal voice - "Good for me then, that Hitch doesn't care what I do!" She shot Connie a glance before leaning her weight on him, "C'mon, you know she won't care what either of us do."

"Sarina! They don't know!" Connie hissed as he pushed her off him. The room's gaze had been averted from Levi's scolding to the two of them, tipsy and awkwardly standing in the corner of the room.

"Don't know what?" Jean asked, looking at them with confusion. "You tell me everything Connie, we're like brothers..."

Connie gulped, his eyes darting between Jean and Sarina. "So... we were going to wait to make it official but last night they decided..."