Gossip Girl

by Anais-fromanotherplanet

Description: Auruo finds out who's the one Levi is smitten with. But no, it's more like Petra has master observation skills. Idek. You'll see.

Pairings: Auruo / Petra, mild Levi / Erwin

One shot.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no kyojin or Attack on titan. If I did, these two would be happily married with a thousand babies. I just borrowed the characters, I'm not making money with this!

And I don't own the more famous Gossip Girl. It's just the title.

A.N.:

ATTENTION!

- Spoilers for Levi's backstory, but only what Petra tells Eren in the anime.

- Petra is a little OOC :( Sorry. But she's so cool :)

- This is my first finished story in English. I'm not a native English speaker, so sorry for mistakes. I also use the UK spelling and the US spelling at the same time :D Apparently, I don't know how to spell tongue. Which is a key word in stories about Auruo. ;) Sorry for that, and other typos, or punctuation errors. I don't have beta, I just spell checked it. Feel free to message me, so I can fix things like this. Thank you for reading this, and my story. Enjoy!

Gossip Girl

Petra and Auruo just sat down at the table in the canteen, putting down the plates. They were the only ones at their table because Petra needed to do something for Hanji, and Auruo waited for her to join him. Erd and Gunther left already, claiming that they were exhausted. When she arrived and asked him why did he wait for her, he said eating alone was boring. But Petra knew that because they weren't training together, he couldn't bother her all day. Now, finally, his moment has arrived. After some time of general conversation, the blond-haired man asked a question that had consequences none of them could have foreseen.

„So, Petra, you like the Lance Corporal, right?"

Petra frowned at him. She was dead tired after the expanded training of the whole day, and was just trying to eat her dinner peacefully. She had to take some reports to Levi before because she was the lucky one Hanji found for the task. So, she had a great motivation to cut this topic short with Auruo as soon as possible. She knew she won't get out of this easily, so she tried to sound very convincing.

„Auruo, you know very well that I respect, and admire him. But don't we all? You saw what is he capable of, on the field. We should be very grateful that we have someone like him with us. Plus, he is a very good leader. Is that enough answer to your question?"

Glancing at Auruo's face, she got the answer what she was afraid of, that no, it's not. Before he could speak, an exasperated sigh left her lips.

„I meant that you like-like him?"

Petra arched one of her eyebrows.

„What does that even mean?"

„Do you have feelings for him?"

Petra's jaw dropped. This question was audacious, even from Auruo.

„Auruo!"

„What!"

She couldn't believe her ears. And he's the one asking this from her. He was blushing a little and he held his hands up, sort of telling her he meant no offense.

„How can you even ask that?!"

„I'm just worried about your position. I mean, you're his subordinate and all."

Petra tried not to smile, when she caught the expression on his face. He was trying so hard to hide his curiosity, his jealousy, even, under the false worrying, but he failed spectacularly. Petra found this kind of endearing.

„I'm touched by your concern, but I assure you, my career isn't in danger. I don't like him that way."

Auruo tried to disguise his relief by contentment. Petra didn't mind, she was just glad that they could finally continue eating their meal in quiet.

Petra's only weakness (at least in her opinion) was gossiping. She adored exchanging gossips with others, sharing interesting information about other people, telling little-known stories - it could brighten any of her boring days. She was very observant, and considered herself an expert when it came to different non-verbal signs of people, when interacting with each other. Gestures, facial expressions, postures, even little sounds, noises, when she was close enough. When in a group of people, in a pleasant environment, she could be fully entertained only by watching others. She gathered information like this, or verbally from others, and the little pieces clogged together in her head, creating stories and relations. When she told a gossip, she loved to see the reactions of people, the expression of surprise on others faces, considering it a victory. Petra paid attention not to tell something really offensive – she wasn't that kind of woman. This was a flaw of her personality that she chose to accept, and tame as good as she could. But sometimes, it was like an instinct telling her to open her mouth, and share something shocking, and she couldn't do anything about it because at times, thinking came after speaking.

Now, between two mouthfuls, Petra couldn't keep herself from saying one more thing to Auruo. And it was a huge mistake.

„Even if I liked him, he's smitten with somebody else."

Auruo was so surprised, he bit down on his tongue. Again. Petra rolled her eyes. They didn't even work together today, but she already witnessed it twice. Despite this, or even because of this, she could feel the strong feeling of triumph, as always.

As soon as Auruo got back the capacity to speak, the first thing he asked was…

„What?! How?"

Petra was bathing in the expression of shock on his face. What's more, it seemed like Auruo didn't think Levi was capable of liking someone. She was delighted. Her tiredness seemed to vanish. Oh, this will be fun.

She chose the most entertaining way of answering – she stayed quiet, with a little smile on her face.

„Petra!"

She glanced at the man beside her, who leaned close to her, his eyes shining with curiosity, and she blushed a little because of the proximity.

Since she first met Auruo, she experienced a strong physical attraction to him, which was, to be honest, very puzzling to her, considering he wasn't someone people would call good-looking. She would have expected from herself to be attracted to a different type of man, for example someone like Erd. Auruo was tall, kind of thin, but muscular, like every soldier. He had large hands with long fingers she always liked on men. His face was outright adorable and even handsome to her at the same time, his jaw and cheek gave him strong features, and the picture was complete with shining eyes, curly, blond hair and very kissable lips. She even liked the numerous wrinkles which made him look older than he was. But this kind of liking was more or less easy to deal with. Then, she got to know him more, and she began to appreciate more than just his looks and manly presence. When he didn't try to imitate Levi (very badly), he was funny, responsible, and smart. On rare occasions, when he let his guard down, through the curtain of smugness and boasting, Petra could catch a glimpse of a kind, thoughtful, caring man. He was very good in the battlefield, one of the best she ever knew. Though she was smart enough not to tell him that. They became quick friends, and, when he didn't set her nerves on edge, he was a great company to her. Their conversations were interesting, and relaxing. She liked hearing about his family and different stories from his childhood, and he listened attentively, when she got something to say about her life.

Levi, Gunther and Erd sensed their understanding because whenever they needed to do something in pairs on a mission, Petra and Auruo were chosen together, and Erd was with Gunther. It was like something clicked with them, their dynamic was perfect, and their movements around each other, even with the Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear, was without fault. Not that they couldn't work together with the others perfectly, but with each other, it seemed like their moves came naturally.

What made Petra be irrevocably in love with him was the constant playful bickering with each other. He wasn't afraid of her in the least, it didn't bother him that she was a woman, and that she was short, he didn't treat her differently because of that, like some of her male comrades. He knew her as a very capable soldier, and that, amongst other things, made her an equal partner in pecking at each other. While she was sometimes really irritated by him, most times she just acted like it. These banters were good-natured and refreshing. She missed them on missions, but there was no place there for something like this, both of them acknowledged that.

Petra wanted to find out if Auruo was feeling something strong like this towards her too. She was no fool, she saw that Auruo mistook her admiration for the Lance Corporal for love. He was probably jealous, which was a good sign – it meant he had some sort of affection for Petra, and that was enough for her to test the waters. She wasn't sure what would she do if Auruo loved her too, but that was something to consider when it was time for it.

So maybe mentioning Levi's infatuation wasn't such a mistake after all, if her plan worked.

„Petra! Who is it?"

Hearing the excitement in Auruo's voice almost made her laugh. He was acting like a schoolboy, who discovered a secret treasure. Petra knew that this information must have been unanticipated for Auruo. She knew very well that the knowledge of the identity of this person was tempting to him – there weren't anyone who respected and admired Levi more than Auruo. So it was like trespassing to him, to meddle with something this personal of his superior. Petra decided to play a little cruel.

She shrugged.

„Well, I'm not going to tell you. You have to find out for yourself."

Auruo groaned.

„Aw, come on! Tell me."

„There's nothing to say. It was wrong of me to tell you about this in the first place." said Petra with fake regret on her face. „Don't you mention it to anyone, if you don't want to be kicked in the butt."

„I'm not an idiot! Besides, it was you who told me in the first place, smartass."

„Well, I made a mistake. Don't follow my example."

Petra didn't say more. She looked down on her food, but from the corner of her eye, she could see Auruo looking around in the canteen, studying the few people who were there with them. Like he was waiting for some sign to pop up with „I'm Levi's secret love" written on it. Petra found it highly amusing. When they finished their dinner, and she stood up to go to her quarters, and Auruo followed her absent-mindedly.

„How did you find out about it in the first place?"

Oh, he's changing tactics.

Petra shrugged, like it was nothing.

„I'm walking around with open eyes."

This seemed to annoy Auruo, but he didn't say anything, instead, he murmured things like: 'it has to be someone close to him...' 'from the Scouting Legion, that's sure' 'talking with her on a daily basis…'

Suddenly, realization dawned on him, and Petra was waiting eagerly to shoot down his idea.

„It's Hanji!" he declared, looking proud of himself.

Petra looked at him with appreciation.

„Not bad."

She tried not to snicker, when he squared his shoulders. Five seconds of thinking he's right will be enough.

„But it's not her."

Auruo's eyes went wide, then he knitted his brows together.

„But she's like the only woman he speaks to on a daily basis, excluding you!"

„Well, she could be, that's for sure, if…"

Petra smiled at him, like she's hinting on something. After a while of observing her expression, Auruo came to realize. Petra could pinpoint the exact moment in his eyes. He gasped.

„No."he said, amazed.

Petra just kept smiling.

„Yep."

„No way!"

„That's right."

Auruo was speechless until they reached Petra's door. She was waiting for him to say goodnight, but he was just standing next to her with wide eyes, a shocked expression on his face.

Exhaustion claimed Petra once again, so she did her best to send Auruo on his way as soon as possible.

„Now, you want to come in, or what?"

At first, the meaning of her question didn't quite reach his brain, but when it did, Petra was rewarded with a red-faced, stuttering blondie. Busted.

„N-no! I have to go! G-good night." It was a miracle he didn't bite his tongue.

„Good night."

He turned and hurried down the corridor as fast as he could. Something inexplicable came over Petra, and she shouted after him:

„I hope I didn't cause you a sleepless night!"

He pretended not to hear. But he did, of course. What exactly did I drink tonight to be so bold? She giggled to herself, and went in her room to prepare for a well-deserved sleep.

The following days, Auruo tried to ask her about who is Levi'smysterious loved one, or just ask for her help in finding out. She didn't give in. He was stubborn, but in that, she was a very good rival. So he gave up eventually, and tried the way Petra suggested: through observation.

She was afraid that Levi will notice, but to her surprise, Auruo was pretty subtle at watching someone. She could have wished him good luck because he didn't have an easy task at all. Levi, and the one who he was smitten with were the two most guarded people she ever met.

After she got in the Scouting Legion, she was compelled to find out as many things as she can about her superiors because of her curiosity. Getting to know about Hanji Zoe was a piece of cake. Mike Zacharius, Levi and Erwin Smith were on the other hand… much less easy. These three people were so intriguing to her, because she couldn't read in their gestures, facial expressions, and postures. They were so careful. The some information she could gather about them were from Hanji, when she got closer to her, being chosen in the Special Operations Squad. The two of them had very different personalities, but nonetheless they became friends quite fast, them being almost the only two women in their close environment.

The information from Hanji were non-essential, like Mike and Erwin were in the same trainee squad, or Levi was kind of a clean-freak. Petra wasn't quite satisfied with only these. She wanted more. One day, after a mission, she managed to get Hanji drunk, which she considered a bad idea after some time because she had to listen to her theories about titans for two hours. But in the end, it was worth it because Hanji slipped something about Levi's backstory. He was some kind of thug, and it was through Erwin he got in the Scouting Legion.

This was very exciting for Petra, so she tried to gouge everything about this out of her friend, which wasn't so much. But there was an interesting fact about Erwin and Levi – they didn't like each other much at the beginning.

Petra started to muse on this.

At the time when Levi got in the Scouting Legion, Erwin wasn't the Commander. This means he had to convince his superiors to let Levi in. And how fortunate was that decision. That means Erwin knew about Levi's potential somehow. How, it was unclear to Petra.

She moved on an other thought. So, they didn't like each other at the beginning. That's okay, opinions can change. But then why did Levi agreed to go?

What was so strange to Petra, was that if she looked at them now, she couldn't imagine the possibility of even anger between them. She had a suspicion that something remarkable happened between them that changed their relationship this much. They respected each other, and Levi accepted Erwin as his superior without a word. The mutual trust and bond between these two men was exceptional. Petra haven't seen anything like this before.

It was so interesting and unfathomable to her that she started to watch them closely, when they were in each other's company. She felt a little guilty that she was so nosy about her superiors, but her curiosity won, as always.

Weeks passed by and nothing happened. She was close to give it up, thinking it was almost impossible to find anything personal about these two, but this was a big challenge to her, and she was convinced that if she stayed persistent, she will get to something.

And she did. It was very rare, and close to unnoticable. Levi's comportment around Erwin changed sometimes. He became tense, and he was out of there as soon as he could (but not very soon, given someone might have caught him retreating). He couldn't deceive the master observant Petra, though. The motivation to watch them came back with renewed force. After witnessing a couple of these moments, she was sure that Levi liked Erwin. Very much. When the pieces came together in her head, she became so excited, she all but started jumping. Her comrades didn't understand her unusual happiness which went on for days.

Eventually, it dawned on her that she didn't notice any extraordinary about Erwin's comportment around Levi. He was completely at ease with the Lance Corporal around him. But he was at ease with everybody… She became a little sad when she thought about that Levi's love might be one-sided.

After some time, she laid aside her plan to get more knowledge about Levi, Mike and Erwin. It was enough to her that they trusted each other completely. She decided to tame the snoopy side of her personality as much as she can, and tried not to think about Erwin and Levi often.

But she needed to share her knowledge with someone. Otherwise, knowing it was as good as worthless. Well, if Auruo finds out. For him, it was more difficult because he only watched Levi, not the two of them together, and he didn't have so keen senses like Petra. She was convinced that the only possibility of Auruo guessing it right was by chance.

And by chance it was.

It only took a week. They were sitting in the canteen, lunchtime, at the table with Erd and Gunther. They were facing the table where Levi was sitting (it became a habit of Auruo's), while their comrades were with their back to their superior. They were talking and eating, and sometimes Auruo glimpsed over where Levi sat. Petra was watching Auruo, for she knew, if something interesting happens, his expression will tell her.

But Levi finished his meal and was leaving. Auruo seemed disapointed for a moment, but then Erwin Smith came in and nearly collided with Levi at the door. Petra was watching the scene and Auruo's face by turns with interest, although she tried not to give away anything.

Levi was in no position of noticing Erwin, with his back to the Commander. The only thing he felt was two big hands on his shoulder. Irritation flashed through his face for a moment, then, he turned around to see, who it was… and found himself face to face with Erwin, who smiled at him light-heartedly. Levi's eyes flashed. The Commander pushed him to the side gently by his shoulders, to avoid a collision, and without a word, went on his way.

Levi tensed, as always, when something like this happened, but shortly composed himself, and soon, his face was expressionless.

Auruo's mouth was hanging open as he gaped at the Lance Corporal. Petra rolled her eyes, and kicked him under the table. Auruo came to his senses immediately, closing his mouth and averting his eyes from his superior, but glared at Petra, and whispered:

„Ow!"

She didn't care. They needed to avoid Levi's attention. And Gunther's and Erd's for good measure. The two were looking at them with an odd expression on their faces. Petra was in the middle of asking them what are they looking at, when she heard Levi's voice. He was right there, near their table.

„Bossard!"

Petra saw some sort of uneasyness in Auruo's eyes, and he gulped hard, when he stood up and answered.

„Sir!"

„I need you to come with me." Levi's tone was flat as usual.

„Yes, Sir!"

When Auruo cornered their table, he looked at Petra desperately, mouthing „Help me" with no sound. She tried to signal with her eyes that there will be no problem – it was only Levi's method to gain back his usual control after an „unfortunate" encounter with Erwin. He will ask Auruo to do something and that will be it.

When the two of them disapeared, Petra got back to her lunch. She was smiling into her bowl – it was a relief that there are finally someone she can talk about Levi and him liking the Commander. She could hardly wait until she saw Auruo again.

At the dinner, they couldn't discuss it, because Erd and Gunther were there, but after they finished eating, Auruo told her, he needed a hand with something. Erd and Gunther started grinning like idiots, and once again, she couldn't ask them what was so funny because Auruo gripped her arm and practically dragged her outside, to the stables.

After making sure there was no one else there, Auruo turned to Petra.

„The Commander?"

Petra grinned and nodded.

„Woah."

Auruo sounded like he never heard something so strange in his entire life.

„You were lucky to notice it. They are really well guarded."

Auruo arched his brows.

„Do you think they are together?"

„I don't know. The Lance Corporal wants it, though." Petra sighed dreamy. „They would be cute together, don't you think?"

Auruo frowned.

„That would be… unusual."

„Yeah. Sure." Petra smiled happily. „Now you know who's the one our dear superior is smitten with."

Auruo smiled back at her. „Yeah."

This is it. Now. I'm going to tell him now.

She was a little nervous, but she got out her most predatory smile, and stepped closer to him.

„Do you know who else is smitten?"

The smile disappeared from Auruo's face at once, giving his place to a pretty blush. He feels it.

„N-no." he managed.

Now she was so nervous, her stomach clenched. I'm going to tell him still. She planned for a little cat-mouse game before, but she needed out the truth right now (and preferably, not with her dinner).

„Me."

She instantly felt better. I did it. Her relief was so great, she didn't pay attention to Auruo for a minute, so he was much more composed than she supposed he will be.

„So," he said with feigned confidence „tell me who is the poor guy, I have to warn him before you tell him, after all. He needs to run."

Perfect. Petra flashed her sweetest smile on him, while taking another step closer.

„You have to worry about yourself, then." she whispered, and kissed him on the cheek.

She took in Auruo's shocked face for a moment, then turned around and begin walking to her quarters. She shouted out one last, delighted „Goodnight!" to Auruo, and started walking faster – her confidence had limits too, after all.

The end

28/may/2014

A.N.: Aww, thanks for reading it! I hope you liked it. Likes, Reviews would mean a lot to me, constructive criticism is highly welcomed!

Sorry if it was boring / dumb or something or if the characters were to OOC. I just love flirty, master observant Petra and smitten Levi. This was just a silly thing that came to my head wholly.

You can ask me to write prompts, and if I have enough inspiration and time, I will do them :)

Message me, if you'd like :)

Have a good day / night!

I made an Auruo x Petra fanvideo. You can check it out here, if you'd like:

watch?v=ipOrDHdgS-Q