Third-person POV
Hanji peeks outside the cafeteria door and smiles widely as she notices Gwen approaching her direction.
"Hurry everybody! To your places, she's coming!" Hanji half-whispers to the cadets as they scurried behind the tables.
The clomping of boots are now audible from the mess hall. The door slowly opens, Gwen enters and looks around suspiciously when she noticed the emptiness.
"SUPRISE!" Everyone jumped and shouted in unison.
Gwen's stoic emotion turned into smile, she was shocked everyone remembered her day.
"Happy 18th birthday and 2nd anniversary here on the Survey Corps, Shorty!" Hanji beamed as she lends Gwen the cake and gestures her to make a wish.
I wish for safety and happiness of my comrades.
Being the selfless soldier she is, she wished for that. She blew the candle and everyone cheered.
Happiness filled the mess hall, everyone's happily chewing on their food and partying, and that's all she wanted to see, but a frown replaced her smile when she noticed a certain raven-haired man wasn't there.
What am I thinking? Gwen thought.
"To the best comrade, squad leader, lieutenant, a soldier could ever ask for. To Gwen!" Ayra said as she raised a wine glass.
"To Gwen!" Everyone cheered.
"May you live a long and happy life, lieutenant." Hiruka said.
Then Liela gave a speech, then Yuki, then Hanji, Erwin, Petra, Eld, Gunther, even Oluo! And until the last person said her speech, Gwen couldn't contain her happiness, she hasn't felt this happy in years.
She took the photograph from her pocket, she brushed the fingers against the surface, then she froze on spot, a flashback occurs.
"You shouldn't do this to her!" A woman screams from the other side of the room. "She's so young and innocent!"
"I'm doing this and it's final. Wether you like it or not! It's for humanity."
The flashback ends leaving a petrified Gwen. She realized the man and woman fighting in her flashback were her parents. She stands there shocked, questions floated around her mind once again.
She began walking outside the mess hall, when a hand grips her elbow and she tensed up.
"Where are you going Shorty?" It's just Hanji.
"I'm gonna go get some fresh air, keep the party going." Gwen replied. Hanji nodded and Gwen continues walking towards the rooftop.
Gwen's body relaxes as she felt the cold breeze air touching her skin, she takes a deep breath and gazes at the stars.
"Dad, mom, brother, I hope you're doing fine up there." She was now crying. "Why did you all leave me? You all left me confused and looking for answers." She sniffles in between sobs.
"Oi, brat."
Gwen hurriedly wipes her tears away once she heard that familiar, cold voice.
"L-Levi, what are you doing here?"
"I'm supposed to be asking the same thing." He sat beside Gwen and they were now gazing the stars together.
"Beautiful aren't they?" She stated.
"Tch."
But what Gwen didn't realize was that the corporal wasn't admiring the stars.
Gwen turned to her right to see the corporal staring at her. "Uhh do I have something on my face?" She blushed.
Levi shook his head 'no'. "Then why are you staring?" She questioned.
"Tch. You haven't realize?"
"No."
Levi was slowly moving forward, their head now centimeters away, both of them now deeply blushing.
"I like you." Levi calmly spoke.
"What?"
"I love you." Levi rephrased his sentence.
In the heat of the moment, Gwen placed her lips on Levi's. Levi, without hesitation, kissed back. Their lips move in perfect sync, they kissed passionately under the dark lit moonlight, then Levi broke the kiss.
He pulls out a box, and took Gwen's hands then uncurled them and place it ontop.
Gwen slowly unties the ribbon, she starts opening the box to reveal a beautiful, gold necklace with a rose pendant. Her eyes shone bright under the stars and Levi slightly smiled at the sight.
"Thank you, Levi!" She threw her arms around her and Levi hugged back. Gwen turned her back and Levi assisted her in wearing the necklace on.
"I love you too, Levi."
They leaned in and kissed passionately once again, she wraps her hands around his neck, as he slithers his arms around her waist.
"WOHOO!" From the background, the titan crazy scientist squeals in excitement as she jumps up and down.
The two lovebirds broke the kiss and turns to Hanji's direction. Gwen's eyes widened when all of her squadmates, Hanji, Mike, and Erwin, were watching the scene with wide smiles. She looked to floor and blushed from embarassment, she looked at Levi but he only wears his signature stoic face.
"Oi shitty glasses! All of you go back down!" Levi commanded.
All of them, including Hanji were now leaving, but ear to ear smiles never left their faces as they descended down the stairs.
Levi caressed Gwen's cheeks and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Without another word, they both went down hand in hand, into the corporal's room/office, and cuddled in each other's arms as they drift off to sleep.