Hi again! After seeing a video of the San Francisco Ballet from a few years ago, I decided to write a sequel to Steps Towards Love. I have finished a story for Detective Conan, which was requested by a lovely author. Enjoy this one!
I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin.
Petra smiled, stroking Levi's hand, which was placed in hers. She gently ran her thumb over his palm, tracing the lines in his hand as they stared at the horizon. Levi had taken her out to the beach for a walk and here they were, watching the sunset. It was so lovely. The breeze blew through her hair, mussing her hair up slightly. Levi reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
It had been six years since they had first danced Swan Lake together. They were always dance partners. Always. Erwin knew better than to separate them. Since they weren't the only principles, the others had danced the lead roles as well. It had been good.
Petra smiled again. Their relationship was going well and there had been no bumps in the road. Levi had met her father and they seemed to get along well enough. She knew that her mother would've liked him. Levi had taken her to meet his mother and his mother had hugged her.
Petra glanced sideways at Levi's face. A soft smile adorned his face and he squeezed her hand.
"What?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said in a sing song voice.
They watched until the sun disappeared beneath the waves.
"Let's go, Levi. They're announcing the next show tomorrow," she said, standing up and pulling him with her.
"Yeah. Let's go home." Levi pulled her to him and gave her a hug, resting his lips on her forehead. They stayed like that for a while, neither of them wanting to pull away. The wind continued to blow and the sky darkened a little more, causing Petra to shiver.
Levi pulled away and tugged her hand. "Come on, you're getting cold."
She went along with him, walking hand in hand with him as they headed home. They had moved in with each other a few years prior and the way they moved made it seem like they were a married couple.
Married... She flushed. But in truth, she had been prepared to marry him for a while. He hadn't proposed yet, but maybe he would soon. She had caught him looking at rings once, but she didn't know if he knew that she had seen him.
Levi opened the door for her and she stepped through, stepping out of her shoes and setting them neatly by the door. Levi followed suit and locked the door behind him.
"What do you want for dinner, Levi?" Petra asked, walking towards the kitchen.
"You know that I'll eat whatever you cook. Anything that comes from you is good," Levi said back. She laughed and headed into the kitchen, ready to make dinner.
"What do you think our next program is going to be?" Petra asked while munching on her food.
"Hmm...I don't know. Erwin didn't mention anything but it's not going to be something we did last year," Levi replied.
"Yeah. I hope it's something that I like though. It's our turn to do the lead roles this time." Petra wiped her mouth with a napkin and took her plate to the sink.
"True." Levi did the same and stood beside her, Petra soaping the dishes and Levi rinsing them off.
They spent the rest of the night cuddled together on the couch, watching TV and reading. It was silent and comfortable, Petra tucked into Levi's warm embrace.
"Hey, Petra?" Levi asked suddenly.
"Hmm?" she replied.
"Will you stay with me forever?" he asked.
"Of course," she said immediately. It stayed quiet for a little while more.
"Let's go to bed. It's late," Levi said softly, standing up and pulling her with him.
They prepared for bed and then snuggled together into the queen-sized bed. Levi wrapped his arms around her and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, tucking her head under his chin.
"Somehow, it feels like I've known you all my life. I don't know how I could survive without you," Petra whispered into his neck.
Levi nuzzled her forehead with his nose. "I don't know how I would either."
They drifted off in each other's arms.
"We are going to be doing Romeo and Juliet," Erwin announced. "Casting is up on the bulletin board. Rehearsal starts in ten minutes. Get ready!"
Levi and Petra quickly checked the list and of course, Levi was Romeo and Petra was Juliet. So the entire company endured the long and vigorous hours of practice. Since Petra always wanted shows to be enjoyable, she still stayed afterwards to practice.
One day, the two were practicing the famous balcony scene. The dance was supposed to convey the sadness of the two characters, but it seemed that Petra was missing some of it.
"Petra, you need to dance with more emotion," Levi said.
"I know, Levi. But, I've always been happy. I've never really felt sadness, never felt what forbidden love is like," Petra said.
"How were you able to dance Swan Lake so well then?"
"Well, my mother had just passed away then, so I was fresh with grief," she explained.
Now that was news. He knew that Petra's mother had died a few years ago, but he didn't know when. "Try though."
"I will."
That night, Petra repeated the music of Romeo and Juliet over and over again and marked the steps in the living room. Levi sat on the couch, reading and watching her at the same time. When she finished, he spoke.
"Hey, Petra?"
"Hm?"
"If I asked you to marry me, would you?" he said it casually.
"Yes," she said without a beat. She walked over, sat down right beside him, and wrapped her arms around him, tucking her head under his chin and holding him close. "I've been prepared for a long time," she murmured.
He immediately wrapped his arms around her, one hand stroking through her short golden locks. They stayed that way for a little while. She then fell asleep, the day's dress rehearsal tiring her out. Levi picked her up bridal style, tucked her into bed, got in beside her, and then fell asleep.
It was performance day. Petra paced around backstage, trying to calm herself down. She kept repeating the steps in her head and she was extremely nervous. More nervous than she usually was. Someone approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.
"Hey, Levi," she said softly, putting her hands on top of his.
"Hi. Don't be so nervous. You'll do great," he reassured.
"I hope," she muttered.
Levi was on first, so she stood in the wings and watched him fondly. His leaps and turns were beautiful and he was completely in character. It reminded her again of why he had been her idol.
Finally, it was her turn to go on stage. When she danced, she forgot why she was nervous. She remembered her love of performing, the reason why she had decided to become a professional ballet dancer. When she and Levi danced together, she could see the love in his eyes and she knew that she wanted to be on the stage with him forever.
The curtain closed and the audience applauded thunderously. Levi helped her up from the floor and they stood. She took Levi's hand and they got ready for the curtain to open again. She saw the beaming faces of the audience, whom were standing and clapping enthusiastically. They took the bow and smiled. Flowers were brought and Petra accepted them, holding the large bouquet in her arms. She expected the curtain to close again, but Levi went and took a microphone. Confused, Petra looked at him and he smiled a little at her.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to the show tonight. Tonight will be, well, a little different to say at the least." Although Levi was usually not very eloquent at all, his words flowed smoothly, as if he had practiced this a million times.
"I want to share a very special moment with all of you. Petra, would you come over here?"
Petra tentatively walked to him and he turned to face her. He knelt down on one knee and produced a ring out of a pouch in his costume.
"Petra, you make me very happy, much happier than before, and you have filled my heart in a way that can never be replaced. So, Petra Ral, will you do the great honor of being my wife?"
Petra gasped and looked into his eyes. They were filled with love, love for her. "Yes, of course!" He slid the ring onto her finger, stood up, and kissed her. The audience cheered and clapped wildly. That was something they had not expected and something they would never forget.
They took a bow again and the curtain closed. As soon as the curtain closed, Petra and Levi were bombarded with smiling comrades and pulled into a big group hug. They made sure that the couple could keep their hands clasped together.
"So our parents knew all along?" Petra asked as they walked hand in hand back to their apartment. They'd gone out to dinner with the other dancers, who had insisted upon it. Petra's dad and Levi's parents had gone too. The three had congratulated the newly couple and Petra's dad had told Levi to "take care of his little girl."
"Yeah, I had to ask your father, first of all. I told my parents and they insisted on coming to the show. Your dad wanted to come as well," Levi responded as he opened the door and ushered her inside out of the cold weather. Once inside, he pulled her into a hug, nuzzling her hair.
"I didn't think someone as private as you would do it in front of about 3000 people," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Well you're mine," he said possessively, arms tightening around her.
"We're getting married," she murmured and leaned upwards to kiss his cheek, then his nose, eyes, forehead, and then, lips. "I never want to let you go."
"Then don't." He leaned down to kiss her, and she knew that she never would, and he would never either.
A/N: I'm finally done. It took me a darn long time to finish this because I didn't know how I wanted it to go. In case you were curious, it was based off of Davit Karapetyan's proposal to Vanessa Zahorian after a show of Romeo and Juliet a few years ago. If you have time, you should check that video out. It's adorable. I hoped you enjoyed the story, and if requested, I'll write another part of the story. Thanks for reading!
Sakura-chan
