Awkward.

It was all Isanna could think off as she sat on her seat, staring at the beauty in front of her.

They were in a some sort of pub in the capital. She had accompanied Erwin to the General Military HQ again because of a meeting with the other executives, but since her presence was not a necessity, she had opted to wait outside the building instead. That was when she ran into her.

Without having much of a choice, she had dragged Isanna to this pub as a way to 'catch up', or something along those lines. Gabs of conversations roused the establishment, glasses and mugs clinked as customers toasted each other and drank and laughed between exchanges, and waitresses roamed around the place to host and entertain.

In front of Isanna lay a glass of water, untouched.

And sitting opposite her was none other than Marie Dok, wife of her not-so arch-nemesis, Nile.

"It's been so long," Marie piped with a warm smile, hands clasped together and elbows on the table, as she leaned forward in enthusiasm. "I've been wondering what you've been up to these days.. I heard things in the military have been doing great?"

After minutes of leaving her drink alone, Isanna finally grabbed the glass of water and raised it to her lips. She took a sip, then finally answered, "Yes. There are still some adjustments being processed with the new government, but all is well so far. How about.. you?" Her voice had gradually gotten quieter at the end, unsure if they were close enough buddies for her to ask how she's been doing. Isanna figured it was fine, seeing how Marie had also asked her.

"Never better," Marie replied with a slight tilt of her head. "Nile has been busy with everything, so he hasn't been at home lately, but things have been pretty great. I applaud you Scouts for your achievements."

Twirling the glass around the table, Isanna replied, "It's because the Scouts has Erwin as a commander that we were able to achieve this much." Because had it been anyone but him, Isanna doubted they could gain this much.

At the mention of the commander, Marie perked up, curiosity in her expression. "Oh, that's right. Speaking of, how is he? Feels like it was just yesterday since he and Nile frequented the bar I used to work at." She chuckled, mind reminiscing their long past, a distant hue of pensiveness shining in her eyes. "Those were simpler times.."

".. He's been doing well," Isanna said after a pause, mind momentarily wandering over towards the past days. Work at HQ had been doing well as always. Eren had visited Keith Shadis earlier that day to ask some questions about his father, Grisha. They were hoping to get some valuable information when his group returns, at least before the next mission.

Tomorrow, they were set to depart for Wall Maria.

"Is that so? That's good," Marie said, her voice trailing off. Isanna wasn't sure what to make of the trailing silence that followed. She used the moment to stare at the woman before her.

She was still as beautiful as ever. Two dimples showed every time she smiled, her movements still as refined, and voice as velvety as the last time Isanna remembered. The personification of the Greek goddess Aphrodite herself.

There was one reason why Isanna was awkward around her: She was Erwin's first love, and correspondingly, Isanna believed the feeling had been mutual between them years ago.

Uck.. what am I, a teenager? she thought in shame, suppressing a sigh.

Marie was not like those annoying cliché love rivals in Hanji's novels who would often give their readers headaches because of constantly getting in the way of the main couples—Marie was literally unproblematic, and so nice, and went out of her way to invite her here, and yet Isanna was still uncomfortable.

That's just your inferiority complex, some part of her brain told her, it's a 'you' problem.

It was funny; Isanna had no reason to feel inferior to this woman. Erwin had literally—

Her face involuntarily reddened.

Erwin had literally already proved his love to her, so why should she feel uncomfortable?

Besides—whatever thing they had going on, it was all in the past. Marie was married to Nile (although Isanna still questioned how a prick like him managed to win her over), and Erwin had already dedicated his heart to her (pun intended).

"Are you alright?" Marie asked when she noticed her red face.

Raising a hand, Isanna fanned her face as a weak attempt to cool herself. "I'm fine." She failed to notice the knowing smile that slowly formed on Marie's lips.

"So," she started, steepling her fingers together and resting her chin atop, a twinkle of curiosity dancing behind her eyes. "How are things between you and Erwin?"

Isanna did not understand the teasing glint in her eyes. She subtly squirmed under her stare, suddenly finding the glass in front of her interesting.

"I don't follow," she said.

Marie lightly laughed at her meek response, the mirth evident in her gaze. "Oh come on, no need to be shy, we've lots of time. Even without the rumors, I had a feeling you guys were gonna hit it off."

"Huh?" Isanna tilted her head in confusion, the sudden change in their conversation throwing her off.

Seeing her bewilderment, Marie only laughed more. The sides of her eyes wrinkled in amusement. "I'm saying, Isanna, I knew you both were gonna come around and get together some day. I knew it from the moment I saw you step in my bar, years ago."

Huh.

Isanna blinked, her brows furrowed together. "What—.. how?"

Smiling, Marie winked at her.

"Woman's intuition," she said.

At that, the confusion in Isanna only deepened. "But.." as her voice trailed off, she recalled the two of them, years ago. Erwin was clearly head over heels for her—scratch that. Nile was the one who was head over heels, Erwin was more mild when it came to his admiration, but that point still stands.

Besides, didn't she kiss him that one time?

In a spur of the moment, Isanna momentarily lost control over her own face and instantly frowned at the memory. Then she told herself the incident was a long time ago, and she eventually calmed down.

Clearing her throat, Isanna said, "I thought.. you liked him back then."

"I did," Marie answered nonchalantly without wasting a beat, a wistful glaze in her eyes as she thought about what happened years ago. "But honestly speaking, who wouldn't? Even my co-waitresses had their eyes on him back then."

Isanna gauged the distant look in her eyes. ".. He liked you too."

"I knew."

She said that without batting an eye, so Isanna was mildly surprised. "So—"

"But he rejected me," Marie said, cutting her off. She looked at Isanna with a smile that was neither sad nor happy. "I confessed, Isanna. But Erwin rejected me."

Now that was news to her. Isanna never knew this tidbit of their story, neither did Erwin tell her (not that he was obliged to). She just assumed that the both of them never had a chance to confess their feelings, and eventually moved on after a while.

But.. Erwin had rejected her? Even when he liked her?

"So it made me think," Marie continued, staring at her reflection that was mirroring on the surface of her drink. "Even if Erwin did fancy me.. it wasn't enough to make him stay."

She shifted her gaze towards Isanna, then smiled. "But you. He chose to stay with you. I think that says a lot about him."

Silence reigned on their table, and the noise from the pub was what filled in the gap of their conversation.

"What about Do—.. Nile?" Isanna asked. She still remember her surprise when she received their wedding invitation years ago—she couldn't attend, because they had to go on an expedition that day. Nevertheless, it had been quite a shock at the time.

When the question left her lips, she caught the way the glow in Marie's face changed. A warm smile erupted on her lips, and the gaze in her eyes softened.

"He knew that I liked Erwin," Marie recalled. She had placed her chin on an open palm as she retold her story to her, a faraway look in her face. "Some time after your graduation, he came and asked me if he could court me."

Isanna tried to picture it, but she could never. She held back a gag.

"When I told him I still liked Erwin even when he rejected me, do you know what Nile said?"

".. What?"

"He said that he'll wait for me." Isanna could see the pure affection in her eyes as she talked, recalling the memory. "He said.. no matter how long it'll take, he'll wait for me.. and should my heart ever be ready to accept him by then, he'll be there."

There was an indecipherable look of nostalgia in her eyes—a mixture of melancholy and radiance, as if the mere memory was still giving her those exact emotions.

Isanna would never have expected that someone like Nile Dok would have it in him, but it just went to show how much he truly loved Marie—and how that love eventually bore fruit when she finally accepted him.

"That's why," Marie continued, "when I heard Nile was.. at odds with his old friends in the Scouts, I was a bit saddened to hear."

She turned to Isanna. "Because Nile may not show it.. but he truly does care for you, Isanna. You, Erwin.. and all the other friends he told me about—he cherished you all, even when he chose his own path. So I hope.. you'll forgive him."

As Isanna listened to her, her thoughts went back to the time when they used to be training cadets. As much as how she and Nile bickered back in the days, she would be lying if she said she never saw him as a friend.

Her, Erwin, and Nile. They were the only ones from her past who were still alive. All the other ones had died. One by one, they had slowly disappeared, leaving only the three of them. Of course, there were Hanji and Levi, but they had not been there from the beginning—not that it made them any less valuable to her.

And it got her thinking, if she'd made effort to keep in touch with Nile back then, would things have turned out differently?

"Oh, hi there, Erwin."

The name snapped Isanna out of her thoughts. She followed Marie's gaze and looked over her shoulder, seeing Erwin by the entrance of the pub, walking towards them.

"Marie," Erwin greeted with a nod. "It has been a while."

"Likewise," she replied, before she glanced at Isanna knowingly and winked.

The subtle exchange did not pass Erwin unnoticed. "Did I interrupt something?"

Waving her hands, Marie smoothly denied with a smile, "No, of course not. We were just having some girls' talk." With a laugh, she continued, "I think I've kept Isanna here long enough—I'm sure the both of you are busy. I'll see you next time."

As Isanna bid her a farewell and stood from her seat, Marie extended an invitation over to their household sometime in the future, saying that Nile would appreciate their visit underneath that tsundere act of his.

Isanna looked at Erwin, before she smiled and turned to Marie.

"Sure, maybe after we return from our next mission."

Erwin and Isanna walked out of the pub, heading to the carriage that was waiting right outside the General Military HQ. Ever since the change of the government, corruption within Mitras had drastically decreased, which explained the lighter and more pleasant air hanging by the streets. Children ran and played by the side, and adult citizens walked the dusty road.

"You didn't have to come looking for me, y'know," said Isanna as they neared the carriage that would take them back to HQ.

Erwin opened the carriage door for her and held out the same hand for her to take. "I wanted to."

Staring at his upturned palm, Isanna had to suppress a smile before she placed her hand in his and stepped up the carriage. Erwin literally didn't have to do that—but the gentleman in him could not resist the chance to act the part of a lover, so who was she to refuse?

The carriage began rolling down the cobblestone, and the view outside the window began to move.

"What did you guys talk about?" Erwin asked after a short silence.

Isanna realized he was talking about her meeting with Marie. "Oh, just. This and that."

"This and that?"

"This and that," she confirmed, nodding, before she sent him a look of half-hearted suspicion. "Why are you curious?"

"Am I not allowed?" Erwin asked.

A pregnant pause passed, before she shrugged her shoulders. "Fair enough. I guess I'd be curious too, if my ex-crush and current boyfriend talked to each other without me knowing."

Isanna was not petty. Definitely not. She willed herself to believe that, and yet, some part of her wanted to see Erwin's reaction to her statement.

He just raised an unamused brow.

Why am I not surprised? she thought. "Kidding. I was messing with you."

"Have you ever liked someone else?" he asked, completely throwing her off-guard.

"I said I was kidding," Isanna said, shaking her head. She reclined in her seat and looked out of the window, staring at the line of houses that passed by. She returned her look at Erwin, locking eyes with his blue ones that were waiting for her response.

"And no, I haven't," she finally admitted. "I've loved no one else. It always has been you. Does that answer your question, Commander?"

Normally, Isanna couldn't finish a sentence like that without pausing or flushing red in embarrassment. But after what happened to them the other night—she found it difficult to stay embarrassed at every other matter.

"I see," Erwin said, then went silent, contemplating about something.

The ride was anything but smooth; the wheels often bumped over uneven cracks in the pavement, rattling sounds bouncing from below and resounding inside. They had long passed through the gates of Sina and had entered Wall Rose boundaries.

"You were not my first love," he suddenly said.

Isanna slowly blinked at him a few times, his sudden admittance ringing in the silence.

"He liked you too."

"I knew."

She huffed. "Tell me something I don't know."

Isanna already knew that. She even remembered the devastation she had felt back then when she realized that there was someone else that occupied Erwin's heart in a different way than she did—she had just played the part of a childhood friend watching them from the sidelines.

"Even if Erwin did fancy me.. it wasn't enough to make him stay."

Erwin looked at her, intensely, then took her hand in his. Without a word, he lifted her hand, gently pressing his lips to the knuckles on the back of her hand. The warmth of his kiss travelled through her skin, and although Erwin tended to do this a lot, she would never get used to the electrifying feeling that came whenever he did.

And Marie's words came echoing in her memory,

"But you. He chose to stay with you."

Isanna watched as Erwin raised his gaze to meet with hers.

"You may not be my first," he said, "but I promise you this, love: you will be my last."

•

The cold wind softly blew, tousling her hair. The grass swayed below her, dancing with the wind. Ahead was the line of houses that stood around the downtown city of Wall Rose, specks of light illuminating from homes lightening up the place; from the distance where Isanna stood, they looked like fireflies that heralded incandescence beneath the night sky—she never knew a striking scene such as this existed within the confined spaces of the walls.

She was at the cemetery.

Rows of gravestones were arrayed all around her, inscriptions of names and dates of strangers that had lived and passed within the walls engraved on each of them. Isanna trudged forward, skimming through the epitaphs of people she did not know.

The cemetery was divided into two: the field near the entrance was where citizens were buried, and the latter field which was five times more spacious, was where the brave soldiers of the military had been put to rest. There were some Garrison soldiers and very few Military Police. But the unnumbered of graves that stretched far and wide across the latter portion of the cemetery all belonged to the fallen soldiers of the Survey Corps.

When combined with the cemeteries from Wall Maria, Isanna was certain it would have been large enough to rival a village or two. Maybe three.

She continued to move forward, glancing at names on the graves. Some were familiar to her, some not. Yet she felt the same mournful sentiment for her fallen comrades who had dedicated their hearts to the cause.

Some visitors often said that this part of the cemetery had eerie air hanging around. There were a few ghost stories about Survey Corps soldiers who haunted the graveyard, regretful about their deaths, which led visitors to avoid stepping foot around here.

They were all bullshit, of course. The ones who spread those stories were the same people who used to scoff and mock the Scouts, muttering underneath their breaths that all the deaths had been in vain.

But to a scout, they weren't.

Not a single death went by that they treated lightly. Every casualty that came their way always had left a legacy in their regiment, close friend or not.

And maybe it was because of all those deaths that they came to value the weight of their lives and the lives of their comrades.

Isanna momentarily froze when she noticed a figure hunched over a grave a few steps ahead. When she neared them, she was a bit surprised to see who it was.

"Dok?"

Nile flinched at the sudden call and looked behind him, only to pause when his eyes caught hers, the gears in his mind reeling. When he finally processed her presence, he returned his look on the grave before him.

"What are you doing here?"

"That's my line," Isanna said. "This is the area of the Survey Corps."

A few seconds passed, and he was still looking at the grave. Then, he clicked his tongue in half-hearted annoyance. "What, so I'm not allowed to be here because I'm not a Scout?"

At that, Isanna finally looked at the tombstone he was tending to—and she realized it wasn't a grave. It was three. All with familiar names etched that evoked a different kind of emptiness within.

Adalaide Müller
816–833

Chiara Bauer
816–833

Adrian Schulz
815—833

For the first few seconds, Isanna felt like her lungs got clogged. Memories of her friends flashed in her mind, of their training days, echoes of their laughter during trivial conversations in the cadets' dining cabin, then it was drowned out by screams of their deaths, and much to her dismay, she remembered seeing their mangled corpses on the ground, drenched with blood all around.

Swallowing down a lump, Isanna teared her gaze from the tombstones that carried heavy memories and looked at Nile.

"Do you.. go here often?" she asked, quietly, hesitantly.

Nile did not give her a glance. And unlike her, he did not look away from the tombstones. As much as how it pained him to see them only through these stones, he did not want to look away. He still remembered how a part of him had used to blame them for choosing the Survey Corps, but when the pain had slowly subsided, he eventually stopped blaming. Nobody could have seen what the future laid in store, and his friends only chose what their hearts had desired. He had no right to tell them off, nor goad of the easy life that he now lived in.

"It's not my fault you all made the wrong choice!"

Nile clenched his jaw.

"All the time," he said, voice thick.

As Isanna looked closer, she finally noticed how the tombstones were cleaner and free of dust compared to the rest. There was also a small pot of flower for each.

Did he do this?

She wanted to ask, but also didn't want to.

Nile, the one who had left them in the dust years ago, actually visited their graves more frequently than her. Had he been doing this for years? All by himself? She didn't know what to make of that.

"He cherished you all, even when he chose his own path."

Nile did, in fact, often visit the cemetery for them. Ever since he'd heard of Mike's death, he also visited his, and made sure to clean up and set up a new flower every now and then. As he was a recent death, his tombstone was located much farther than here. Part of Nile claimed it was his way of making up for turning his back on them without a word, while a part believed that he was just doing so to ease his conscience.

The operation to retake Wall Maria was to be commenced tomorrow, and even though he wasn't part of the mission, he was still as nervous, just as the other executives. He recalled Erwin's words to him right after the success of the uprising:

"Humanity has now gone down a path more perilous than before."

He inwardly scoffed. Leave it to Erwin Smith to be so foreboding even after the success of his own plan.

'More perilous', he had said. If their previous path was already as precarious, then what did that make this new one?

He thought about all the lost lives—would that eventually worsen? The three tombstones he often visited in the past years had now turned into four.

He turned to Isanna, who had gone silent for a while now.

"I better see your stupid faces when you return," he said, with much less spite than intended. "You and Erwin. After you take back Wall Maria."

He tried to sound rough, but even then Isanna could see his attempt had failed. After her talk with Marie, she was slowly seeing Nile Dok in a different light now. Beneath that coarse, disinterested façade, maybe he did care for them.

She clicked her tongue.

"I don't need you to tell me that."

The quietude stretched for minutes, with the both of them staring at the graves of their lost friends, lost in their own world, drowning in memories of the past and thoughts of the future.

Above them the moon shone bright, as whole as a round orb shining with the stars. Their shadows casted over the graves, outlining their silhouettes. A gentle breeze rustled the tangles of weed that were growing through the cemetery fields, a sign of being left untended by whoever was in charge of trimming it down.

When she deemed it enough, Isanna decided to return to HQ and rounded her heel.

"See you later... Nile."

He didn't answer, nor did she wait for him to. His eyes remained fixed on the tombstones in front of him, even as he heard her receding footsteps, farther and farther away, until eventually, Nile was left all alone, sitting and staring at the remnants of whom he considered were once his family.

And in the solitude, he muttered, "See you, Isanna."

•

Soldiers at HQ were having what they called a final celebration before their departure.

Drinks and meat were distributed, and with the rare stash, everyone was overjoyed. They snacked on meals, toasted with drinks (except for the minors), and some even exchanged a friendly brawl of punches (Eren and Jean, namely).

Amid the silent neighborhood, only the HQ was filled with rambunctious merrymaking, as all the soldiers enjoyed themselves to their hearts' content.

"Aren't you joining them?"

Erwin raised his head to see the person who'd just entered his office, crossing the distance in long strides.

"Where have you been?" he asked back as he watched Isanna circle around the desk and lean against the edge beside him, arms crossed.

"Visiting old friends," she said after a brief silence. Erwin got her message and didn't pry further; Isanna had been visiting the cemetery occasionally for the past few years. "Anyway, you didn't answer me. Aren't you heading down to join them?"

He knew she was talking about the party that was being thrown below. They could hear loud laughter and distant voices engaged in conversations. There were even yelling voices, although what the voices were fighting over, they couldn't know. But Erwin trusted his veterans to keep the younger ones in check.

"I prefer some peace and quiet," he said, gaze going over the things on his desk. There weren't any more papers he had to work on, as they were all stacked neatly at the side. Even if there were, he'd rather focus his thoughts towards their operation tomorrow—he could work on those remaining papers when he returned. If.

"I guess it was a good decision to let you relax at the orphanage," Isanna said, and Erwin recalled what happened the other day.

It was exactly just as she said. That day where Erwin saw her at the orphanage the queen had been handling, she managed to convince him to spend some time there with the kids, preaching together with Hanji about the importance of taking a break from work. The other cadets who had been helping with Historia were at a loss to see the three highest figures of the Survey Corps at the orphanage, but eventually began warming up overtime. Needless to say, it was a meaningful break.

"Working hard is fine, but you needed a break," Isanna said, shrugging. "And Ella's taken a liking to you too."

The memory of the little girl brought a quick smile to Erwin's lips. She reminded him a lot of Lauren.

"The cadets were really surprised to see you there, though," she continued, recalling how awkward the cadets had been around Erwin that day. "They told me it felt like seeing a new side of you."

He glanced at Isanna, remembering how they used to care for Lauren some time back. Memories of the little girl whom they took in, together with Mike, Levi, and Hanji rolled in; those were about the few moments of laughter and bliss in their otherwise bleak world.

Now that he thought about it, the tidbits of happiness that occurred in Erwin's life always happened with Isanna.

How happy would he be, he wondered, should he come to have a family with her?

Funny how the past him would never have entertained the mere idea, knowing how he was too devoted to his job and dream, and now here he was, contemplating the idea.

"Twenty-seven years," he said out of the blue.

Isanna turned to him, confused and gave a questioning hum.

Erwin leveled his gaze, and slowly stood from his seat, walking to stand in front of her.

"For twenty-seven years, you've been a constant presence in my life," he said, watching the way the confusion in her eyes only deepened.

Twenty-seven long years.

For most people, that was probably already long enough to be considered married. Theirs was a different case, though. Looking back, Erwin realized they had done things backward; living together, taking in a child to look after, before officially dating—that wasn't the most traditional order of courtship.

But then again, they were not living in a traditional world to begin with.

And, despite the jumbled order of how they did things, despite the obstacles and bumps along the way, they were still here. Together. Erwin realized that fact in itself was already a miracle.

"For twenty-seven years," Erwin continued, "you stayed with me—even when I did not deserve your presence."

Whenever he recalled the past years with her, he would never understand how Isanna chose to stay with him despite all the odds. Enlisting into the military academy with him, following him into the Survey Corps, never hesitating to follow him even in the face of death—all that, just because he gave her a home years ago? No matter how much he thought about it, that simple act should not have guaranteed such deep loyalty from her. Not to mention how he'd hurt her and tried to push her away—Isanna had countless opportunities to leave.

And yet, here she was, still standing before him.

Erwin raised a hand and tucked a strand behind her ear, unmindful even when she was staring at him. He enjoyed doing it—pushing away rebellious strands that occasionally obstructed the face which he loved to stare at. Isanna never complained whenever he did it, either.

"What have I done to deserve you?" he whispered, more so to himself than to her.

His question that was most likely rhetoric mildly surprised her, seeing the way she blinked at him a few times.

"I stayed because I wanted to," she then said, straight to the point, without any flowery words.

Erwin should have known she was going to say that.

"You really do deserve a better man," he said, causing Isanna to immediately pull a light frown.

"If you're going to pull another 'I don't deserve you' bullshit I'm going to hit—"

She was unable to finish her statement when Erwin lifted a hand and lightly pressed it to her lips. A small smile slowly formed on his lips as he stared at the disapproval decorating her features.

"You didn't let me finish," he said, before he lowered his finger. Isanna remained silent and looked at him with an arched brow, prompting him to continue.

Erwin stayed on his spot for a while, gauging the waiting expression on her face as he contemplated on what he was going to do next. The past two months had given him ample time to consider, as amid all the planning, executive meetings, and added work, this was always at the forefront of his mind.

Doubts and uncertainties lingered, more so especially for the future. But this one thing—he was certain of it. This was what he wanted.

Erwin finally teared his eyes from her and turned to the drawer of his desk. He could feel Isanna's stare burning through him, intently, as he pulled the drawer, the gentle gliding of wood filling in the silence of the room.

"For twenty-seven years we've been together," he started, pulling a small black box from the drawer, slowly lifting it up for her to see, "and I wish it would stay that way for the years to come."

Erwin watched as Isanna's eyes flew to the box in his palm, her gaze still muddled with confusion. The seconds ticked by, and he eventually saw the change in emotion in them, confusion slowly turning into realization as she processed the meaning of his words and object that was being presented to her.

"You deserve a better man," Erwin said, "so I will become exactly that. I will be better.. for you."

Isanna was still staring at the box in disbelief when Erwin used his thumb to plop it open—and inside was a dark cushion where a silver ring sat on.

The silence stretched by, and Erwin could clearly see the sheer surprise in Isanna's face. Her shock was reasonable—Erwin had expressed it in the past how he was not looking to settle down considering his job. He did not have enough heart to put his spouse through the pain of being with a commander who was in this constant life-threatening line of work.

"Love is a luxury I cannot afford to have. You of all people should know that."

He never believed he could enjoy the luxury of love before, but she made it possible.

"Words will never hold the weight of how irreplaceable you are to me," he continued, recalling the amount of times he questioned himself and his duty as a commander, and how heavy the burden was. Countless times he'd thought he was no better than a monster with no remorse for all the deaths. Countless times he'd thrown away his humanity and made choices nobody else could ever dare to. And each time that happened, she was there to remind him that underneath that tough iron façade of his, there lay a heart that could feel—a heart that loved her. Erwin liked to believe, that Isanna was the last anchor to his humanity.

When Isanna finally raised her gaze to meet his, he could see the glistening of her eyes, lips slightly parted.

"Isanna, will you do the honor of making me the happiest man in the world," he said, "and let me be your husband?"

His proposal seemingly drifted into the air for the first few seconds, echoing inside Isanna as she processed the unfolding scene before her. This was entirely not within the bounds of her expectations—Erwin was proposing to her. Erwin Smith was proposing to her.

Isanna opened her mouth, but no reply came out. She was still very much staggered—surprised—at his proposal, wondering if this was just a dream or if it was just some sick joke. But she knew it wasn't a dream, because she pinched her hand and she didn't wake up, nor was it a joke because Erwin wasn't the type to pull pranks.

"You caught me off-guard, that's unfair," she said with a light chuckle, her lips twitching into a smile as she stared at the silver ring in the box, its shine reflecting from the light in the room.

"That is the essence of proposals, is it not?" he remarked, a subtle smile of content on him as he watched the glistening shine in her eyes. That. He liked that look on her.

And he hoped to see more of it.

Erwin watched as Isanna finally lifted her gaze from the ring and looked at him, a large smile painting her lips. With a face like that directed at him, he knew he did the right thing proposing to her.

As she said yes with a mixture of an exhaled chuckle, Erwin's own smile softened, a combination of relief and exhilaration at her answer. He delicately slipped the silver on the ring finger of her left hand, sealing his commitment to her and her to him—their promise of a lifetime, and a promise he intended to keep for as long as he lived.

Silence reigned the office as Isanna admired the way the ring perfectly hugged her finger, not noticing Erwin's own gaze of admiration on her.

They were only interrupted with a knock to the door.

"Erwin?" Hanji's muffled voice came through from the other side. "Is Isa with you? We're coming in, you guys aren't—you're wearing clothes, right? We're coming in!"

They both turned to the door just as it was pushed open, revealing Hanji and Levi walking inside, carrying a bottle of wine and mugs.

"You guys didn't come down so we brought this here," Hanji chirped as she took her seat on the couch, Levi on the opposite one.

Isanna walked over, brows arched as her eyes zeroed on the bottle. "What's this for?"

Hanji beamed. "A toast! For a successful recapture of Wall Maria, of course!"

Isanna pointed out they shouldn't get drunk the night before the operation, with Hanji replying that they got the lightest bottle. "We know you're a lightweight, Isa," she added as she began pouring onto the mugs. Isanna tried to deny the fact, only to be shut down by Levi. According to him, she could just take a sip and she would already get tipsy. 

"It's not something to get embarrassed about," Hanji reassured a red-faced Isanna with a chuckle as she handed her a mug, then gave one to Erwin.

"Alright, cheers for a—" Hanji froze mid-sentence as her eyes caught a glimpse of a glossy silver wrapped around Isanna's ring.

She lowered her mug and leaned closer to Isanna's hand, eyes widening.

"Wait up.. is that..?"

Isanna followed her gaze and realized where she was looking. She exchanged a knowing glance with Erwin before she raised her hand for Hanji and Levi to see.

"Holy Wall Sina," Hanji gasped after a long silence, almost at the edge of her seat as she grasped Isanna's hand and pulled it closer so that she could get a better look at the ring. She looked at Erwin, then at Isanna, then at the ring, her brain still processing the info, before she eventually broke into a screech, "HE PROPOSED?!"

Isanna had to flinch back at the sheer volume of her voice, but her smile was still there, which held all the answer Hanji needed to hear. She went on a rant, gushing about how Erwin 'finally manned up' and how ecstatic she was to hear that all those years of patience were finally bearing fruit, as well as squealing about how Hanji herself must be their wedding coordinator because she'd earned that right as their wingman.

While the two were caught up in their own conversation, Levi looked over towards Erwin, an unreadable expression hovering over his face.

He recalled his conversation with the blond, much earlier, in the same room.

A frown was threatening to form, but Levi held back. Erwin, most likely noticing his gaze, turned to return his stare. A look of silent understanding was passed between them, words hidden in the veil of a gaze, not meant to be said in the presence of others.

"Alright!" Hanji exclaimed, her enthusiasm skyrocketing at the glorious engagement news as she grabbed her mug and raised it high. "Let's make a toast—" she froze mid-sentence again when a black cat hopped on top of the table in front of her, green slits for eyes peering at them.

"Ah," Hanji breathed, beaming wide. "Mhile! Where did you come from?"

Isanna reached out a hand to pet him, Mhile instantly leaning closer to her palm with a pur. "He often just pops up out of nowhere," she mused with an amused smile.

With no more interruptions, Hanji once more led their toast, gesturing for the other three to raise their mugs high. Levi grumbled under his breath how unnecessary this entire thing was but obliged anyway.

"For a successful operation and for Isa and Erwin's engagement!"

As the four veterans made a toast for their drinks, it was about the only room left in the HQ that remained lit, while the rest had already retired for the night.

Hanji watched her close friends—Erwin reminding Isanna not to finish the entire mug for fear of her getting a hangover, Isanna reasoning that she would never let a measly drink get the better of her, Levi silently watching the entire thing with his own way of holding the mug, uncaring of how much he drank (he was never one to get drunk anyway), and Mhile curled around his lap, tail swishing comfortably.

Hanji Zoe was not one to dream of the impossible—she was literally a scientist, someone who tended to gather irrefutable evidences first before theorizing.

But should an alternate universe ever exist, she wished she could spend her days with her friends like this, exactly like this, without the gnawing fear for their lives every day.

Mike, are you watching?

The night went on, and come the following days, Hanji would later on ask herself what she could have done to avoid the hell that would soon fall upon them.