#rivetraweddingwednesday

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

Erwin picks up on the third ring.

"Hello, Levi, I'm guessing you want me to be your best man?"

"Hn. If you decide to make your speech embarrassing I will knock the wind from you to shut you up, and if it goes over two minutes and becomes one of your grandiose lectures you'll be suffering whiplash from how quickly I slam you back down into your chair."

"Always good to hear from you, Levi, congratulations."

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

Levi thinks the idea of a proposal is somewhat absurd.

How exactly is this act supposed to be the first step of marriage when the participation in it is so unequal? The couple is not acting together but disjointedly: one planning and the other being taken by surprise, one executing and the other responding, one trying to make the proposal “good” and the other determining whether it is “a success”.

What’s a good way to propose anyway? A dinner at an expensive restaurant could be fancy and romantic if you get into the atmosphere—and disregard that it’s in public and done to death. During a mundane moment to express wanting to live in domestic bliss together is sweet, but rather lackluster. An elaborate proposal may be a fun idea, but what about the greater pressure in the giving of the answer? And what about the recipient catching on to what’s going on and the surprise being ruined?

What Levi thinks should be considered most though, is the partner and relationship, not the event and spectacle. If a proposal’s recipient needs time or says no then both parties should be able to leave without waiting for transportation and adding to the strain. They should be able to be safe and comfortable, and they should be able to pick up the relationship from there.

Levi knows he loves Petra and wants to marry her and that she loves him, and he thinks their marriage would be good and that she would want it. They’ve discussed it before and their life plans and beliefs and practices, and Levi really thinks they’re compatible and ready. So proposing is a good idea. He decides to cook dinner for Petra at his home. It’s normal but still special and is him making effort for and showing his commitment to her. Along with expressing his feelings for her and intent for their relationship, it’s private and intimate.

If Petra doesn’t accept him, she can leave easily, even sit in her car outside or a few blocks away to be by herself if she needs it. And if she says yes—if she says yes then they can talk about it more and call their friends and family with the good news, whatever it is couples do after successful proposals. He hopes his plan both covers all concerns and is the special surprise that Petra (more than) deserves.

~*~

When they’ve finished dessert, Levi presents Petra with a gift, a leather bound book engraved with the title Fruit of Love. Petra fingers the fine leather and opens the book, smiling at the inscription “This book is the fruit of love.” and gasping when she reads the first page. It is a poem, her poem.

Levi leans in, his voice is soft and sincere. “When you let me read your songs and poems, told me how they were labors of love and you would love to have them published someday, you shared something special with me. And so I thought this was the perfect way for me to express to you how I want to make your dreams come true and be with you through smiles and tears.” He opens the book to its heart, revealing a secret compartment holding a beautiful gold locket.

Petra picks up the locket and opens it with trembling hands.

"This book is yours and the locket is my gift to you. But I hope you will make my dreams come true and accept one last thing."

Inside the locket is a ring, white gold and sapphire jewels twining to form two hearts, connected in infinity.

I’m so sorry for the delay, this was left incomplete for a long time because I was trying to figure out how Levi should propose, and then I was finishing the last details on Tuesday. I got home with less than an hour to type it all up and get it out at my usual time that night, and ended up falling asleep. Same thing with yesterday and then today I had to do more searches for the locket and ring designs. ^_^

The locket looks something like this since it’s a design I feel I’ve seen before and that Petra could keep and wear even if she didn’t accept Levi’s proposal. I think it’s pretty and kind of evokes the “Wings of Freedom”.

It’s taken me a while but here’s the design I’ve settled on for the ring!

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

They’re not exactly criteria, but there are things people look for in other people, or that draw them to them.

So it’s surprising, that what Levi loves about Petra, aren’t just the things he loves. He loves strong spirits and he certainly loves Petra’s, and it’s very nice that she doesn’t tower over him, but those are kind of bonuses.

The thing that caught his attention was her hair like the autumn sun, and her warm personality was the flame that drew him in. It’s her strong character though, that really makes him love her.

Petra’s self-assured and assertive, she stays strong in the face of adversity, and she handles him just fine. But it’s the fact that she keeps her warmth, kindness, and trust in the midst of everything that really makes her amazing. Petra doesn’t waver in her faiths and they shine freely into the lives of all who encounter her. Levi doesn’t have her optimism and idealism, but that she has them along with his realism and pragmatism is something so new, and somehow she’s real and makes him believe too.

She doesn’t change him—she shows and teaches him and he chooses to learn from her. So he does change because of her, and he changes for her too. Because he knows this is what love means.

He buys the ring because this is how he wants things to always be.

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

"You may now kiss the bride."

Petra and Levi lean in to kiss each other, and Levi thinks she tastes like forever.

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

"Hi, I'm Petra, I'm a childhood friend of the groom's. I used to babysit Eren so there's an age gap and I don't really know anyone else here. You?"

"Levi, bride's cousin."

"Well would you like to dance?"

"Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

"So what did you get them?"

"A step stool."

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

"Are you nervous?"

"No." Fuck, too abrupt. “Thank you.” Still no good. “Maybe. A little.”

Levi wishes Erwin hadn’t left when Petra’s father entered the room. His suave and charm could have kept Levi from making a worse impression of himself at such a critical time. He knows Mr. Ral isn’t exactly happy about an ass marrying his daughter.

"Levi, Son," he sighs, "may I share with you some husbandly and fatherly wisdom?"

Levi’s not exactly sure Mr. Ral waits for his nod before continuing.

"You are fortunate enough today to be marrying my daughter. And she understands you. You share an understanding.

But today you will leave this church as a husband—her husband—bound together in marriage. It won’t be enough anymore for her to understand you and for you to share an understanding, and it won’t be right.

You need to do right by her, and you are going to. You will learn to say to, share with, give to, and do for her all the things she needs you to.

My daughter is strong and patient like a mountain, but she can be worn down by the wind and weather and time. The ground beneath her can shake and shatter; water and fire can pour over her. Darkness can consume her. And she can be hollowed from the inside.

So will you be those things to her? Or will you be something else? Will she ever come crying to me, or anyone else, because of you? And what will be done? Will you dry her tears and restore her smiles?

I’m trusting you with her. My little girl. But she’s so much more than that. She’s a woman, her own woman. She’s. Petra.

And you, you are you. You are Levi. Today you become Levi and Petra. To do that, you need to understand who she is, who you are, and who you are together.

I’ll see you at the altar.”

[mathmusicreading]

Rivetra Wedding Wednesday

"Are you nervous?" her mother asks.

Petra smiles and hugs her. "How can I be? It's Levi and I've had you and Dad all these years to show me what marriage is."