This is one of the most special chapters of this story 😭
Lara and Armin became very special characters to me. They taught me a lot ♥ So I really hope you like this chapter!
I prepared a soundtrack that touches me a lot, and I want to cry just by thinking about the song. It's called "Juntos Somos Mais" (Together We're More), the instrumental version, composed by Daniel Figueiredo. It is part of a Biblical Brazilian Soap Opera called "The Rich and Lazarus", and it's the theme song of the main couple. I get emotional with this song, because this Soap Opera couple has a pretty painful love story, too. So when one day I was listening to it, I thought it matched perfectly with Armin and Lara's love story ♥ Please listen to it as you read the chapter, I hope your reading experience is great and you can feel everything the characters are feeling. You can find the song on YouTube and Spotify and leave it on looping 😊
This art represents them so well! 😭 (By 'Qinni'):
Apparently, Levi was wrong.
Lara didn't have to spend the night in the infirmary before her wedding day. As incredible as it may seem, she slept very well and woke up happy and lively.
On the other hand, Armin took a while to finally fall asleep, because after Levi had reassured him about what to do on their "first-time", he was now quite anxious and, I confess, pretty excited for the moment to arrive soon when he could make love with Lara.
It was a beautiful sunny Sunday and as usual, Armin woke up early and, as he always did on special occasions, prepared a delicious breakfast for his fiancée. He prepared two chamomile teas and some bread, put them on a tray, and went to her bedroom, knocking on the door.
Armin heard her say he could come in, and when he opened the door, he found Lara kneeling beside her bed, saying her morning prayer as she did every day. Silently, Armin placed the tray on the desk and took the opportunity to kneel beside her and also make his, because, since he was a little anxious, he had forgotten.
When they were done, the couple opened their eyes and smiled at each other, kissing good morning. Lara thanked him for the nice breakfast and together they sat down at the desk to eat. At one point, Armin asked:
"What are you gonna do today?"
"After lunch, I'm going with my mother to the salon to get ready," Lara sipped her tea, "You?"
Armin ate a piece of the bread while thinking.
"I think I'll stick around and read a book."
Lara laughed in indignation.
"What?" exclaimed Armin, laughing, "I have nothing to do until the party time. When it's about two in the afternoon, I'll just take a bath and put on my suit. Done!"
"Don't you dare be late, please!" said Lara, pouting disapprovingly as she bit a slice of bread.
"Me, be late?!" replied Armin, pointing to himself, "Aren't brides the ones who usually run late?" he gave a little smile.
"Well, I insist on arriving even before the Officiant!" exclaimed Lara, drinking all the tea in one gulp. "I'm gonna be the most punctual bride on the planet!"
They laughed.
"But seriously," continued Lara, "please arrive at the party hall a little earlier, to check if everything is all set and to welcome the guests. I'll have to stay hidden in the carriage until everyone arrives." Lara gave a playful little smile, because she was pretty excited to walk down the aisle in her wedding dress.
"Leave it on me, baby," Armin leaned towards Lara and they brushed their noses, giving several peck kisses.
They both spent a very calm and pleasant morning, finishing up the last preparations for the honeymoon, such as train tickets and hotel bookings. They also took all the rest of their belongings and the travel suitcases to their new house, as they would go straight from there to the train station, just passing by Hange and Levi's house for them to accompany them, for they would bring the car back.
Upon seeing Lara and Armin emptying their bedrooms and taking everything to the car with Kuchel's help (Hanna was still sleeping), Levi and Hange stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking at each other with very sad faces. Together, they went back to their own bedroom and sat side by side on the bed, heads down. Quietly, Hange sobbed and pouted, looking down at her feet.
"I-I know they're gonna live literally next door, but..." she felt her chest tremble, "It's so sad to know they're leaving our house..." Hange couldn't take it anymore and began shedding tears.
Levi had mixed feelings inside him, but he tried not to show it. It was obvious he was joyful and proud that Lara and Armin were getting married, but they had spent so much time living together under the same roof, that Levi felt like a part of him was being ripped out of his chest. Besides, he still couldn't believe it had been ten years since he had met Lara and that now, his little girl was already a grown-up woman and getting married.
"Is it normal to feel this way?" he asked, watching his wife cry softly.
Hange tried to compose herself, wiping her tears and sighing.
"Oh, yeah... For sure... Sooner or later, it'll be just the two of us in this house," she looked at him, pouting sadly again.
"So let's allow Kuchel and Hannah to get married only when they're forty!" replied Levi, indignantly.
Hange chuckled, then scratched her cheek thoughtfully and said:
"Look, even though I love our children, the idea of just the two of us, together, is not that bad, don't you think?! It would be as if we were newly married again, but with grown children." She frowned, "Although we got married already having a daughter... God, we did everything in reverse!" They chuckled.
Levi raised his eyebrows, also thoughtful. He hadn't thought about it that way and it made him feel a little better, slowly pulling Hange around her waist to hug her, giving her a peck kiss.
"It sounds like a good idea. When that time comes, I'll take you on a trip," he replied, gazing deeply at her with a little smile.
Hange grimaced in indignation.
"No way!" she retorted, getting rid of him, "I won't wait forty years to travel with you! If so, I'm gonna ask Armin and Lara if I can go with them to Tuscany! You stay here taking care of the girls! Goodbye!" and she left stomping her feet, leaving Levi chuckling alone. In the end, Hange ended up having to help Hannah, who apparently had woken up with dirty diapers, outraged at her parents' lack of consideration for letting her get so filthy.
Levi made a very special spaghetti for lunch, which was a bit of a tearful time, for it would be the last meal the six of them would eat together at that table, with Lara and Armin still living there. At least they had ice cream for dessert, which lifted everyone's spirits a little.
A carriage came to pick up Lara and Hange for them to go to the salon to get ready, right after lunchtime. Kuchel made a bit of a fuss, because she also wanted to go to the salon, but Armin promised her that he would do pretty pigtails in her hair, since Kuchel would be the flower girl and ring bearer.
Armin's plan to have a quiet afternoon and read a book went down the drain, because he and Levi had to bathe and get the two little girls ready, which was a bit of a challenge, for even Hannah seemed very anxious about her older sister and brother-in-law's wedding, and kept splashing water in the bathtub on her father, while Kuchel ran half-dressed around the house while Armin chased her (because she thought it was the perfect time for a tag game).
When they finally managed to get the two kids ready, Levi and Armin took turns to bathe and get ready. However, when it was almost time for them to leave for the party hall, Armin was getting so nervous, he completely forgot how to tie a tie, so Levi had to help him.
Armin was wearing a navy blue suit and vest, since that color always suited him. He was also wearing a white shirt underneath, with black shoes and a bow tie. Levi's suit and vest were black, with a dark gray shirt underneath and, as usual, with his typical and faithful white cravat around his neck.
As promised, they left a little earlier to welcome the guests and check if everything was all set in the party hall, which was about twenty minutes' drive away, in a more rural area of the city.
The guests were arriving and congratulating Armin, who welcomed them at the door of the hall. Sasha, Niccolo, and Ben arrived, and the first thing she asked was, "When will the buffet be served?", making Niccolo turn almost purple with embarrassment because their son also seemed very excited about his mother's question. Since they were going to be the bridesmaid/groomsman, Armin asked them to stay close.
Connie arrived holding hands with Onyankopon's cousin, and they greeted Armin with joy. Onyankopon and his parents arrived shortly thereafter, giving the groom a warm hug, and wishing the couple all the happiness in the world. To Armin's utter surprise, Onyankopon handed him a package, which had nothing less than a portable camera inside with some film to develop the photos, saying it was for the newlyweds to register their honeymoon trip. Armin was delighted, for he had only seen a portable camera a few times in a single downtown store, and thanked him from the bottom of his heart for the present, claiming that Lara will freaking love it.
Mikasa also arrived with Jean. They hugged Armin with great affection and Mikasa even cried a little with emotion. Apparently, their engagement was doing better than Armin imagined, because, as they talked, the couple told him they had bought a piece of land and that soon, they would also start the works to build their house, leaving Armin extremely happy, and saying that they could count on him and Lara to help. Mikasa and Jean would be the maid of honor and the best man, so Armin guided them to stay close to Sasha and Niccolo.
At one point, Dr. Wilson also arrived with his wife, delighted to be able to witness that moment he had so much hoped for. Armin placed his hands on his shoulders, telling him he was partly to blame for Armin marrying Lara today, which made Wilson shed a tear of emotion by knowing he had been an excellent matchmaker.
At about 3:40 pm, Armin spotted a carriage arriving and, for just a brief second, met Lara's eyes, who quickly ducked into cover. He felt his heart skip a beat and his body tremble. He couldn't quite see her properly and chuckled nervously. The carriage went to the back of the party hall, so Lara could stay away from the prying eyes of people who didn't have the patience to wait for the bride to walk down the aisle. And, as she had said, Lara did arrive before the Officiant, who arrived five minutes before the beginning of the ceremony.
As a string quartet played beautiful classical music, the ceremony began. Armin walked down the aisle with Hange, who was wearing a long silver dress and with her hair loose. Afterward, Mikasa walked with Jean, followed by Sasha and Niccolo.
Then, it was Kuchel's turn to enter the hall to spread the flower petals along the way, which were inside a wicker basket. However, she got so excited halfway through, that she simply threw the basket in the air, and the petals fell more on the guests than on the aisle runner itself, drawing laughter from everyone. Fortunately, Onyankopon managed to catch the basket in midair, because otherwise it would have hit his mother in the head. Kuchel then ran back to Levi (who was trying to hide Lara behind the door) to get the rings. That at least, Kuchel did right, strutting down the aisle and handing the tiny box to Armin, who thanked her, picking her up and kissing her cheek, drawing an "Awwww, how cute!" from everyone.
Then, it was Lara's turn to come in.
Armin's chest was rising and falling rapidly, and he felt his heart pound in his ears as the musicians began to play Lara's entrance song, and everyone rose from the rows of chairs. The hall door opened and Armin finally saw her.
The woman of his life.
With a big smile on her face, Lara's blue eyes stood out against the whiteness of her dress. Her hair was pulled back in an elegant low bun and she wasn't wearing a veil (because she thought it was itchy). Her dress was long and simple, with no embroidery, but made of excellent satin fabric, which was falling perfectly over her body in light flares descending to a short train. It had long puffed sleeves with a long cuff and a set of pearl-style buttons.
Armin thought he was going to pass out right there. A big lump formed in his throat and his eyes turned very red, such emotion he felt, because, for years of his life, Armin never imagined that one day he would be there, marrying Lara. For a long time, he thought he was going to die soon, all lonely.
But that changed.
Swallowing hard, he watched his beloved walk slowly towards him, accompanied by Levi. But, to Armin, it seemed like there was no one there, only Lara, who was giving him a beautiful smile and her eyes were watering with joy, her chest also rising and falling rapidly.
As Lara and Levi approached, Armin walked over to them. Now in front of Lara, Armin slowly took her face and placed a long kiss on her forehead, both closing their eyes. He gave Levi a warm hug, who then took his daughter's hand and passed it to Armin's, giving him a meaningful "take good care of her" look with a little smile, which Armin returned. Levi walked over to stay beside Hange, who at this point was crying profusely. Levi himself had to lower his head and wipe his eyes, but he tried to do it as covertly as possible. He reached for Hange's hand and they intertwined their fingers, with her gazing at him with a big smile of happiness, which made Levi's heart melt.
At that moment, they felt a sense of accomplishment. Levi, who had initially rejected Lara out of fear of letting her down and being a bad father, now watched her, fully grown-up and, modesty aside, very well raised by him and Hange. The feeling they were having there was indescribable.
For a brief moment, Erwin, Mike, Moblit, and many other faces passed through their minds, bringing them a great feeling of missing, and imagining how happy and proud they too would be if they were there, watching their little Lara getting married.
Fingers entwined, Lara and Armin walked over to the Officiant. He did the complete ceremony and then, the couple was now officially married.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," said the Officiant, so that everyone could hear. "You may now kiss the bride."
Accompanied by a hearty round of applause from all the guests and, smiling from ear to ear, Armin gently took his now wife's face and their lips touched in a quick but very, very good kiss. When they drew apart, with people still clapping behind them (Connie and Jean were whistling loudly in celebration), Armin and Lara whispered an "I love you" to each other, smiling and with a few tears streaming down their cheeks.
The party then started and all the guests were having a great time. Kuchel, Ben, and other children ran around the hall, much to the despair of the waiters. Lara and Armin were radiant, very smiling and joyful, going from table to table to greet the guests and receive congratulations, with lots of hugs and kisses.
At one point, the couple went to the middle of the hall to have their first dance. The song was the same as the one they had heard in that Soup House on their first date. Just like that day, Lara laid her head on her husband's chest and he rested his cheek on her forehead, both with eyes closed.
Lara then called for Hange and Levi to join them. Hange had to drag him because Levi was refusing to do such an act in public, but he had to give in, his face completely red the whole time, stepping on his wife's foot as they danced. Soon, Mikasa and Jean, Sasha and Niccolo joined them too. Gradually, everyone began to form pairs and also dance to the slow rhythm of the music. Only Kuchel and Ben did not dance slowly, but in a rhythm that looked like samba.
The party went on, and Armin and Lara were sitting at a table with Hange and Levi. Hannah was already fast asleep on her father's lap. Everything was in perfect peace, and Lara and Armin couldn't stop smiling at each other.
When it was still about eight o'clock at night, and people were eating, drinking, and talking, Armin gave Lara a meaningful look, hinting that he wanted to say something in her ear, as the hall was filled with people's noise. Lara leaned toward him, curious. Then, Armin whispered:
"I wanna go home to make love with you."
At the same instant, Lara felt as if she had a thousand butterflies in her stomach, and her heart began to race very fast. She widened her eyes and stared at Armin, a little open-mouthed. He was looking at her as if nothing had happened.
With her jaw trembling, she leaned in again so their faces were close.
"N-Now?!" stuttered Lara, speaking in a low tone, still a bit perplexed.
"Yes," he replied with a playful smile, "let's sneak out, get the car and go home."
Astonished, Lara began to giggle, covering her mouth.
"B-But, there's still much time left for the party to be over!" she replied among her giggles.
"Oh!" Armin clicked his tongue, "Only an hour left. Nobody will notice."
Lara pressed her lips together, trying to hold back more giggles, and looked around surreptitiously. She swallowed hard, feeling her heart thudding in her ears. Then, she looked back at Armin and said:
"Alright, let's go!" she smiled, "But I think it's good to let my parents know."
Armin agreed and Lara leaned over to Hange, who was happily eating spaghetti.
"Mom..." whispered Lara, making Hange turn around to hear better, "Armin and I are leaving... Okay?"
Hange widened her eyes and accidentally gave her a very cheeky smile, for she had understood perfectly what those words meant, leaving Lara blushing a lot.
"C-Can you guys take care of everything, please?" asked Lara, embarrassed.
"Leave it to us, my dear," replied Hange, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Don't worry, I'll make up an excuse and say goodbye to the guests."
Lara thanked her and then Armin entwined his fingers on hers, and surreptitiously, they started walking towards the back door of the hall. The last thing Lara saw before leaving was Hange whispering something in Levi's ear, who turned red and had an expression of utter astonishment. Giggling, Lara closed the door behind her.
Feeling like they were the worst rebels in the world, Lara and Armin ran hand in hand to the car, laughing so hard their stomachs hurt, because it felt like they were both running away from the Police. Armin started the car and they left, taking the road to their house.
They didn't say a word along the way. They just stayed there with their fingers entwined and, every now and then, Armin would kiss his wife's hand and they would smile at each other, feeling their hearts swell.
Armin parked the car in the small garage next to their new home and turned it off, making a great silence fall over them, with only the sound of a few crickets echoing here and there. Still with their hands joined, they felt them sweating and shaking. The couple faced each other, with a twinkle in their eyes, as their chests rose and fell rapidly, and their hearts beat at full speed. They couldn't stop smiling.
They got out of the car and quickly went to meet each other, to hold hands again. They walked across the lawn and up the porch stairs. Armin took the key from his pocket and opened the front door, turning on the lights.
The kitchen, dining, and living room areas lit up, revealing the home they had worked so hard to finally have. Everything looked perfect and even smelled like new, bringing great joy to their hearts as they gazed at it as if it was the first time they were seeing it. The travel suitcases were already positioned near the front door.
Armin closed the door behind him and then, Lara got startled when he picked her up, carrying her towards the bedroom. When they got there, still in his arms, Lara turned on the light, which was warm and yellowish. The couple then contemplated the bed in front of them, which was covered by a very soft and comfortable duvet, with several pillows leaning against the headboard. Then, they looked at each other and turned a little red, but again, they couldn't stop smiling.
For a moment, they caught sight of the seashell Armin had given Lara when they first saw the Ocean, decorating her bedside table. A mix of feelings got into their hearts, for it was an extremely sad and devastating day for both, but now, they saw the seashell as a symbol that united them during the period when they were not together.
Armin carefully put her down and closed the bedroom door, as if wanting more privacy for what was going to happen next. The couple stood face to face, gazing at each other with a twinkle in their eyes, their jaws trembling, and chests rising and falling fast.
Still not saying a word, Armin slowly took Lara's face, and she felt like a shock had gone throughout her body, as if he had never touched her before, and she closed her eyes. They got closer and pressed their lips together, feeling their hearts beat faster. Lara also took her husband's face, while moving their mouths slowly.
Armin then placed his hand around her waist, going to her back, slowly pulling her closer to him. Lara wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers gently on his hair. Everything was done as calmly as possible, as they wanted to enjoy every second of that moment. The only thing they could hear was their deep breaths at each movement their heads made, tasting each other's mouths.
Carefully running his hands on Lara's back, Armin worked his way up until he found the zipper that closed her dress. Before pulling it down, he sought Lara's eyes, as if asking for her permission, and with a little smile, she nodded in agreement. They touched their lips again, and then Lara felt her dress being unzipped, and the touch of Armin's hands on her bare back, but she was still dressed. She felt her whole body tingle and her heart beat faster.
In the same way, Lara ran her hands over Armin's chest, placing them inside his suit, taking it off, which fell to the floor. He helped her unbutton his vest, also letting it fall. Armin also helped Lara unbutton the cuffs of her dress sleeves as she removed his tie. Then, she unbuttoned his shirt.
A little of Armin's bare chest could already be seen, and gently, Lara ran her hand through it, taking the shirt off completely, also letting it fall to the floor on top of the small pile of clothes that was behind.
Lara had only seen Armin shirtless the day they met again in Shiganshina, after him having devoured Bertholdt, and she remembered very well how she blushed. However, for some reason, Lara wasn't embarrassed at all and gazed at him, smiling. Armin then slowly pulled her into a kiss again, as she ran her hands over her husband's back and hair with affection.
Then, Lara felt her entire body tingle as Armin ran his hands up her bare back, reaching her shoulders and gently pulling her dress down, which fell to the floor with a thud around Lara, leaving her in only her bottom underwear.
Instinctively, she covered her breasts with her arms, turning very red. However, Armin was gazing at her with such love, that Lara felt a great peace get into her heart. Gently, he pulled away her arms and contemplated her with the purest affection, smiling. Shy, Lara said:
"Well... This is me," she gave a bashful smile, looking at him from below.
Armin began to chuckle softly, smiling from ear to ear as he contemplated her.
"You're... perfect," he said, making her blush a lot, but also making her smile.
He placed his hand around her waist, pulling her closer to him, while holding behind her head with his other hand, kissing her again. Lara then started to take off Armin's belt and pants, who helped her, and soon, he also had nothing left on his body. Lara also contemplated him, with a very sweet look and a kind smile.
"You're perfect too," she said, blinking slowly.
Armin looked a little embarrassed at first, but by noticing how his wife was gazing at him in such a beautiful way, he felt more confident. Armin then helped Lara take off her underwear and finally, none of them had any clothes left on their bodies.
They gazed at each other up and down, with an enchanted look. Their bodies still had some remnants of the ODM gear marks, but now they were almost completely erased.
With their hearts pounding and chests swelling, they slowly got closer, with Lara wrapping her arms around his neck, and Armin holding her back with both hands. They touched their lips, moving their mouths for a kiss, and leaned into an embrace.
It was as if an electric current had passed through them as they felt their bare bodies fully touch each other for the first time. They tightened themselves even more in their embrace, intensifying their kiss and breaths.
Armin ran his hands behind Lara's hair, down her back, until he reached her thighs and, in a movement, pulled her up, where she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist while hugging his neck and kissing with passion.
Skipping the dress, still kissing, Armin walked over to the bed and climbed it, walking on his knees until he could lay Lara down with her head propped up on one of the soft pillows.
Looking down at her tenderly, Armin caressed her face as Lara closed her eyes at his touch. He leaned in and they touched their lips in one more kiss. Slowly, he took turns between her neck and mouth, while Lara ran her hands through his hair and down his back.
Armin wrapped her in his arms, caressing from her thigh, her back, to her neck, as he kissed her all over with passion and intensity, but slowly at the same time. They stayed like that for so long, I cannot tell you exactly the amount.
Lara was feeling pretty good.
Upon feeling the affection and love with which Armin treated her, the fear she had had inside her was completely erased. Their bodies trembled with emotion, their breaths panting, and they felt their hearts beating so fast they thought they would explode at any moment.
Then, little by little, they felt their bodies join completely. Armin was kind and delicate. Lara's heart rejoiced as she realized she was not feeling any pain. As their bodies slowly moved, they both began to remember Armin's sacrifice and resignation, for not wanting Lara to suffer when he had the Titan Curse, and yet she continued to cultivate that love in her being during all that time, while he suffered in silence, feeling his heart rip apart at every day they weren't together.
It felt like they were reconciling for the first time, as if they hadn't seen each other for ages, such emotion got into their hearts. The lump in their throats grew bigger and bigger and they both sobbed softly as they felt their bodies finally joined together. Armin wiped Lara's tears away, and she did the same, running her hands over his face. They both had a mixture of expressions of pain and happiness at the same time on their faces, as they tasted each other in their mouths.
"I love you, Lara," whispered Armin, gazing at her from above, at one point, with a certain expression of anguish, as he clenched his fist against his own chest, "I love you so much, it hurts!"
Wearing the same expression, pressing her lips together, and feeling more tears coming, Lara held his face as she felt him inside her body.
"I love you too, Armin," she sobbed, giving a sad smile and wiping her husband's tears with her thumbs. Lara then repeated the same words she had said to him on their engagement, "Thank you for coming back to me..."
Armin nodded, in a mixture of chuckling and crying at the same time. Then, they both felt the purest happiness and love grow inside their hearts and they smiled at each other, bringing their lips together for a very intense kiss.
Now, Lara and Armin were no longer two bodies, but only one.
Joined, in one flesh.
I'd like to share with you the official lyrics of the song "Juntos Somos Mais" (translated by me). Even though I recommended you to listen to the instrumental version, I can't help but think again about how much these lyrics represent the love between Lara and Armin ♥
"Together we are more,
More than just passion, much more.
We are yes and no,
And the maybe fades away.
There is no division, only companionship,
No illusion, just sincerity.
There's no reason to separate
What love has joined forever.
And what to do, if my place
Is where you are.
There's no reason to separate
What faith has joined forever.
I will not fear, if my place
Is where you are." ♥