Hi everyone! So, while I was working on homework, the idea for the one-shot came up, and I decided to write it down. It's now my first story! I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer- I do not own Attack on Titan. Petra would still be breathing if I did.

When it's Over

"Captain?"

The dark haired man looked up from his desk to the petite woman in front of him.

"I brought your tea," the woman murmured, placing the tea cup on the desk.

"Thank you, Petra," Levi replied. He turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, expecting her to leave quietly like she always did. Instead, she stood there, playing with the cuff of her sleeve.

"What is it?" he said, not looking up. "I have work to do."

"Captain…" Levi looked up and Petra's amber eyes met with his. The look of seriousness startled him.

"Levi… what are we going to do when this is all over?" she whispered.

Levi paused, processing what the soldier had just asked. When it's all over?

"I don't know, Petra. I've never thought about it," he replied. Petra sat in the chair in front of the desk, her lower lip quivering. She sighed.

"Levi… I want to be with you. I want kids. I want a house in a meadow where I can look out the window and know that you, the kids and I are safe. I want this to be over," she whispered. Levi's eyes widened. He loved the idea of them, sitting in a meadow surrounded by little angels with amber eyes...he shook himself. He couldn't think that. Slowly, he got up and walked over to her. He bent down and looked her in the eyes.

"Petra, you can't say things like that. This is our reality. We have to live with it," he stated. He hated this, pushing her away. But he had to.

Petra nodded, a few tears escaping down her cheeks. She didn't look him in the eye.

"Petra..." Levi sighed.

Petra let out a sob, tears still cascading down her cheeks and mixing with her caramel colored hair. She took in a shaky breath before whispering, "Levi… I love you."

It was as if the world stopped spinning for Levi and time slowed to a stop, just like every time she said that. All the emotions a human could possibly feel ran through his veins and made his throat close and his stomach clench. She was a soldier. Soldiers weren't allowed to think like that.

"Petra, stop," he ordered. She just glared at him through her tears.

Suddenly, she felt herself being scooped up on Levi's arms. He carried her to his room and laid her on the bed. She rubbed her eyes, watching him walk across the room to a little chest on his dresser. He reached inside it, pulling out something so small that Petra couldn't tell what it was.

"Levi?" she asked. The captain walked back to her, staring at the object in his hands.

"Petra," he murmured. She could now see the object. It was a ring. It was silver and plain, nothing much to its design. Her eyes widened and her breath got caught in her lungs.

"This is my promise to you," he continued, sliding the ring in her finger. "When this is all over…"

Petra recognized the fire in his eyes from when that soldier died and he promised to eradicate the titans.

"Do you love me?" she whispered."I just want to hear you say it." Levi's gray eyes clouded over. He stared at the ground.

"I-I can't," he choked. She had to know this. He couldn't get attached to people. It had backfired on him before, and it could happen again. But then he remembered why he'd fallen for her in the first place - because she gave him hope.

"We can talk about this after the expedition tomorrow. For now, you need rest," he replied. Don't get attached, don't get attached, don't get attached.

Petra nodded. That was the same answer she'd gotten every night. "Goodnight, Captain," she stated. She turned and left, leaving the ring in his hand.

He'd given away her patch. He knew she would have wanted him to. That soldier had been so broken… and that's exactly what Levi had felt when he'd seen her body, broken. Her beautiful eyes were lifeless, dead.

Now, he felt numb. He didn't feel anything. He'd done it again. Gotten close to someone, and he'd been shattered because of it. And when Petra's father came… he wanted to scream and crumple on the ground. But he stayed still, willing his expression not to betray his emotions. He was a soldier and soldiers didn't dream or wish. The reality was simply reality. If you dared to hope, you'd be shattered.

He sat on the edge of his bed, tears dripping down his face. He held the ring in his fingers, his hands shaking. "You're a fool. You didn't even tell her you loved her…" He let out hoarse scream, and the ground shook. He didn't care that someone could hear him. He was dying. He was a dying animal who had fallen once again. He squeezed his eyes shut, and threw the ring out of the window into the darkness. He threw away his reminder of her. His reminder of what they could've had. Petra was gone, and it was over.

Did you like it? Levi and Petra are one of my favorite pairings, so I just had to write this! Plus, I needed something to help me cope with everything from episode 21 and 22.

Please review or favorite if you liked it!

Thanks a million,

Ivy