The morning was chilly, as Petra prepared the coffee in the small kitchen of the Scouting Regiment fort. The brisk drafts that whisked through the corridors made wearing the green, woolen shawl of the Scouting Regiment a near necessity.
Petra poured the freshly made coffee into delicate cups. Her fingers threaded into each handle, she felt the press of warmth against her fingers and she carried them off to the dining room table.
The squad chatted softly, their conversation lulled by the sleepy, early morning.
Petra gently set the coffee down in front of each member on her squad.
Erd, Gunter, Auruo.
They grunted appreciatively, as their hands immediately wrapped around the warm, proffered drink.
"So…" Auruo brought the coffee to his lips, "...you're the team wife, is that it?" he drawled teasingly.
Her eyes narrowed, "Don't say things like that." Petra huffed indignantly, as she set down her own coffee in front of her.
The group quieted instantly, as the distinct click of heels echoed towards them. Captain Levi entered the dining hall with the same dour expression he always wore, carrying a sheaf of reports.
"Good morning, Captain." Petra piped in.
His face didn't move, but his sharp blue eyes shifted to her and he offered a small nod in response. Wordlessly, he moved past her and took his place at the head of the table. He dropped the sheaf of papers unceremoniously on the pine surface, and pulled the top-most report and began to read.
The squad slowly picked up their morning chatter again.
Petra poured another cup of coffee, setting it in front of Levi. He didn't acknowledge the act, his eyes continued to scan the reports. Mechanically, he pulled another paper from the top of the stack and set it in front of him.
She returned to her seat and picked up her own coffee, grateful for the pleasant aroma that floated against her face.
She moved to take a sip.
"Petra." Levi spoke firmly.
Petra nearly spilled the drink in surprise, her coffee swirled dangerously in her cup as she moved to steady her hand. She and the others looked to the Captain with a curious dread.
"Sir…?" she answered carefully.
He held the coffee inches from his face, his eyes pierced her own, intent, as he looked over the top of the cup.
"You're in charge of making coffee now."
Erd let a smile curl against his lips, "Great decision, Captain." he took another sip of coffee.
Gunter nodded in agreement, "You make the coffee taste...good. Not like the sludge Auruo makes…"
Auruo looked to Gunter with a bored expression, "You wouldn't be able to do any better, idiot." His eyebrows quirked up playfully as he looked to Petra, seated on his right, "...but then again, wife knows best."
Petra elbowed Auruo sharply.
"Oof!"
In the chill morning of the Scout Regiment dining hall, the first strands of pale orange sunlight softly cascaded through the windows. The warm, wispy stream of coffee lifted into the air as it danced against the fingers of sunlight.
A new morning ritual for Levi's Special Operations squad began.
-Author's Notes-
A quick, short story because I needed to get this out of my system. Just got hooked on Snk/AoT...and after seeing the latest episodes:
"Nooooo~! GOD why?! Squad Levi! We only just got to know you!" I_I
Also...after listening to "Calling Your Name" from the official soundtrack...I can't help it - but I SHIP LEVI/PETRA! Comeon! The engrish can be a little puzzling, but if you read the lyrics, "Bring me coffee - and smiles." Yeah, this is a Levi/Petra song (headcannon). ALSO, if you listen to Episode 22, as Levi looks over the rows of dead bodies, you can hear the light piano of "Call Your Name" playing in the background. :(
Future plans for me include making a multi-chapter fic about Petra x Levi. We had years of them being alive before those cruel episodes, so dammit - I'm gonna write it!