4 months later
Levi's hand rested on Anya's belly, him standing behind her as she folded the last of the receiving blankets, and stuffed them inside a drawer of the simple white dresser they had bought for the nursery. They had finished decorating the majority of the nursery - The painting was redone by Mikasa and Jean, the furniture was arranged perfectly, and above each of the three cribs, a mobile of different animals hung.
Two rocking chairs stood on either side of the bay window at the end of the room where multicolored curtains hung, filtering out the light. Everything was in place, and ready for the arrival of those precious little lives. On the walls of the room, they had decided to decorate with paintings of animals and flowers, as well as pictures they had taken throughout Anya's pregnancy of Levi holding her ever growing belly.
They had been stocked up on diapers, bottles, formulas, and plenty of stuffed toys by the surviving members of the alliance. It seemed like every other day someone was stopping by to check on anything that needed to be done.
There were already two duffel bags by the front door of their home, one with everything Anya would need in the hospital and one with the same but for Levi. To say they were prepared would be an understatement, yet still they shared the feeling like the day couldn't come quickly enough.
Anya was in more and more pain everyday, feeling contractions that were expected in addition to furious kicking and cramping, leading her to spend most of her days on strict bed rest as ordered by Nathalie. Tonight was no exception, but alas - the intense pain from the heartburn and nausea meant Anya wouldn't be falling asleep anytime soon. Every few minutes, she turned to the cup of chipped ice that Levi had prepared for her earlier in the night, and chewed on the tiny shards of ice that soothed the pain in her throat and chest.
Levi hated seeing her in so much pain, and did everything he could to make this time easier on her. All of the cleaning, all of the laundry, all of the cooking - he knew it was nothing compared to what her body was going through and the pain she was in.
He'd still find her bent over the bathroom sink, hair tied back as she splashed cold water on her face for a sweet moment of relief from the intense heat that seemed to radiate from her body. Even more often, he'd see her unable to eat anything, and what she could eat she couldn't keep down - he would hold her hair back, and give her a cold washcloth for her head after helping her brush her teeth and carrying her to bed.
It was like her body took every single thing expected in pregnancy, and amplified it to a hundred times the normal amount. It was almost like her body was attacking her.
And he couldn't help but blame himself.
Because ever since they were just children, he had spilled all those deep secrets to her - how he wanted to leave the underground and just be normal. Have a normal life, settle down, and have a family with her. And he knew she instilled that as her dream too - to give him that normal life, and that normal family, after everything he had been through. Even more so now, after all he had seen in the horrors of war and fighting titans for so, so terribly long. If anything, she was more determined to make his dreams a reality and make him happy, even if it meant she - his precious, sweet Anya, was in pain.
So there she was, 8 months pregnant and miserable, while he bore much simpler burdens in exchange. And never once did she complain, never once was she anything but happy and smiling when she looked at him. She never said a sour word to him, and always asked him how she could help - and however much he refused, she would insist until it all became too much. And even then, she would still try, despite his protests, to help him with everything.
But on nights like this, they cherished everything so much more.
Yes, she was in pain. Yes, he was exhausted. But it was calm, peaceful, almost serene as they looked around the room that now finally resembled a nursery, and took in the sight of it all. The large stuffed elephant from Armin and Annie, resting in the windowsill of that large bay window, surrounded by gifts from their loved ones. Cards displayed on the top of the dresser, and a closet full of perfectly hung up clothing for their wonderful little children. Soon, they would be parents.
And gone would be the peace and quiet everyone insisted they relish in while they still had a chance, replaced by the screaming and crying of little lungs who weren't able to communicate their needs. Gone would be nights of blissful ecstasy together that lasted hours, to be replaced by falling asleep thoroughly spent from the day and hoping to just find the other in bed for a moment of each other's sweet touch in the form of hugs and cuddles instead of sexual gratification and that pure bliss they both so enjoyed receiving, and giving to the other. Gone would be the days of reading in each other's arms while sipping on tea, to be replaced by running back and forth from one room to the next to soothe whichever child needed it in that moment.
At least, that's what everyone told them.
And yet, they still couldn't wait to hear those little lungs screaming and crying - proof that they had made those little lives and they were alive. They couldn't wait for the exhaustion of being parents, because that would mean that they were doing it right and dedicating their all to their babies. They couldn't wait for that running around, because at the other end of those doors would be what they had always secretly hoped for.
So on nights like tonight, they closed the door to the nursery and sighed, as he carried her to their sprawling bed and ran a warm bath for the both of them to share. Adding dried flowers, and soaking salts, and essences and oils to the bath until it was just right - the perfect temperature, the perfect calming scent, the perfect soothing feel. And then, he would carry her to the bath and climb in behind her, washing her hair for her and holding her close while the warm water enveloped them and they simply enjoyed each other's presence. She sighed contentedly as she felt his chest press to her back, and his soft hands around her, resting at her belly. Before she knew it, her eyes were fluttering closed and so were his, as they lay there in perfect harmony with each other. Blissful, content, and at peace.
And then, when the water went cold, he rinsed her off and helped her wash off the oils and salts from the bath before showering himself. He dried her hair, and helped her dry her body off - her belly was so swollen from having not one or two, but three babies inside her, that she couldn't reach her toes anymore, or even her knees.
She felt helpless as he had to help her with everything, but so grateful that he did help her with everything. She adored this man - her best friend, her husband, her everything. He took such amazing care of her, never once complaining or pressuring her. He did everything she would have and more. He made sure she was comfortable, content, and happy.
Everything she had ever wanted, he gave to her willingly and without complaint. Everything she dreamed of and hoped for, he provided without fail. He had given her his friendship, his honesty, his loyalty, his dedication, his love. And so he had given her everything. Everything she had ever wanted, and could ever want.
Once they were dried off, he would pull a nightgown onto her and help her to bed. He'd fetch her whatever she needed to be comfortable - a routine at this point of setting up pillows and blankets in just the right way he knew she needed them to be before running to get water and chipped ice and whatever snacks she would get those unrelenting cravings for. And then, once he was sure she was as comfortable and content as she could be, he would climb into bed next to her and kiss her again and again and again, and tell her how much he loved and adored her.
And when she would feel insecure about how her body looked, he would leave trails of kisses along her entire body, and reassure her that in his eyes, she was the most beautiful woman in the entire universe. When she had the overwhelming desire to have him make love to her, he would kiss every inch of her and give her what she wanted slowly and with extreme care - and then, they would reach their ecstasy together.
When it was time for them to drift off into sleep, he would lay kisses on her belly, and tell each one of those precious little brats how much he loved them already, and sing lullabies to them before reaching his arms around her, holding her close with one hand on her belly before they drifted off to sleep.
But something about tonight was different. It wasn't uncommon for her to wake up in the middle of the night, or to toss and turn - unable to find a comfortable position to sleep in, even in his arms.
No, tonight the kicking was relentless. He could feel it on his open palm across her belly, a feeling he would normally relish in and be so enthralled by, but this time - Anya was whimpering in pain. She was crying from the pain - something that hadn't happened before. She rushed to the bathroom, with Levi only feet behind, and he held back her hair as she once again released the contents of her stomach with tears in her eyes.
She crashed backwards onto him, her back meeting his chest as she looked up at him and whispered soft cries and a string of apologies before he put his finger to her lips and promised her it was fine. He cleaned her up, and brought her back to bed carefully.
Within moments, she had closed her eyes and fallen asleep with her head on his chest and her arms wrapped around him. But he couldn't sleep. He wrapped his arms around her, he breathed in her hair, he whispered to her sleeping form how much he loved her and how sorry he was that she was in so much pain. He found his comfort in her, both arms around her as if for even a moment he let go she would fade away. His eyes fluttered closed as he finally stopped staring at the ceiling, yet still, he couldn't sleep.
He couldn't sleep because something deep, deep inside him screamed that something was wrong.
The moment he saw those tears in her eyes, he knew she was in more pain than she had ever been in. He could see it written on her face. He could see it in the light behind her eyes. He could hear it in the way she told him how much she loved and adored him as she was falling asleep, as if she was pleading with him to remember every word and commit it to his memory. He knew it, and so did she.
Something wasn't right.
He laid there for hours, awake and nearly constantly checking her breathing and her pulse as anxiety overtook him.
And just as he thought he could finally calm down, finally relax, finally let himself be overtaken by sleep. Just as he convinced himself that he was being ridiculous. That Nathalie had checked on her that morning and - as usual - confirmed everything was fine.
That's when he felt that familiar warm wetness creep along the bedsheets and hit his skin.
He checked her pulse, and it had gotten weaker since the last time he had checked
Her breathing had changed, it was shallow
And when he ripped off the covers and looked down at the bed, his heart sunk at the sight in front of him as his gut wrenched
Their sheets, now holding a rapidly growing pool of blood
Her arms were limp, her face serene, and when he tried to wake her for the first time since the very first night they had spent together...
There was no response.
His heart hammered hard beneath his chest. His eyes widened. There was blood everywhere. Their sheets, their clothes, what was once an immaculate clean white, it was now a dark, hot red and it was coming from her. His Anya was bleeding. His heart, beating faster than ever as he stood in a sitting position and he pulled her in his lap. Not now. Not ever. Was she going to die right now? After all those months of impatiently waiting for their babies, he was going to lose her now? After all those years that they had spent apart, and after those few months that they were reunited and married and happy. After all this, he was going to lose her?
How terrible could fate be? How terrible could this life be? After all those years of begging for her to be alive, he found her, and he found his happiness with her, and fate was just going to rip it all away from him. Both his wife and children like it had happened back then. All this pain and suffering. It just kept repeating itself because of some stupid curse that they had done nothing to have it cast upon them.
"Anya!" He cupped her and ran his thumb across her cheek. Tears gathered in his eyes. His vision, blurry. "Please be okay, baby, please be okay..." He whispered, desperate.
He had to call Nathalie. He had to take her to the hospital. He had to have Nathalie and -God be damned- Zeke as well around to help him keep her from dying. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Never again.
Levi abandoned the blood-stained sheets and clothes and whatnot. He picked her up as gently and as securely as he could manage, and he placed her away from the puddle of blood that just kept pouring from within her. He reached for the phone that stood by the nightstand and he quickly typed down the number that he had very well memorised.
It took a moment for somebody to pick it up. It almost felt like decades.
"Yeah?"
Zeke. Levi groaned. Of all people, why couldn't Nathalie be the one to pick up the damn phone? "Where's Nat?! It's urgent!" Levi growled.
"She's running a nightshift at the hospital,"
"Perfect. Grab your damn car and come here RIGHT NOW!"
"I figured. Okay, be there in five. Glad I stayed up late,"
And Mikasa heard the screaming, and barged into the room with Jean right behind her. She gasped at the sight and all the blood, and could feel her heart drop right into her gut as she watched the tears stream down her cousin's face. Jean ran to Levi's side, and helped him carry Anya into the living room and lay her delicately on the couch while they waited for Zeke to walk through the door or announce his presence.
And those five minutes felt like hours as Mikasa stood in their driveway, duffel bags in hand and tears running down her face like rain. Jean panicked, and called Armin and Annie, and Sarina who was with Connie and Hitch, and Reiner and Pieck, and even Historia. He woke them all up and ordered them all to meet them at the hospital Nathalie worked at. Noone asked any questions, they all felt as if they just knew. And he heard the same from every single person he talked to - noone could sleep, everyone just had this terrible, dark feeling.
But to Levi, that five minutes could have been years as he held his hand in Anya's, and prayed to every power he could imagine to just save her. To just let her live. Hell, if he could trade his life for hers in that moment he would. He watched the blood pool up on their couch - blood that just wouldn't stop. He felt nothing from her hand that he so desperately held onto, and he kissed her forehead and her eyes and begged her to just wake up.
Even if it was just to say goodbye.