hey look i'm procrastinating sunlit shadows so i puked this out instead. for real, i started this a while ago before sunlit shadows but never finished it and i've been pretty sick lately so i decided to finish it. This story is going to be a bunch of ficlets and drabbles (au or canon, I'm not picky) about the og squad levi bc i miss them and cry every time i think about them. I take requests if anyone's interested; just pm or review. this collection isn't strictly going to be Rivetra, although a lot of them might be Rivetra-centric. enjoy this silly one-shot.
"Petra?"
"Hey, do you-"
"Will you marry me?"
She blinked. Erd stared at her, his eyes wide and earnest, and smiled at her sheepishly. In his left hand he held a small, velvet box. Petra focused on the box, then back up at Erd, with an 'are you serious look'. He continued to stare at her with the same dorky expression, and as the silence dragged on, his small smile began to droop.
Oh shit I think he's serious, Petra thought, realization beginning to dawn on her. She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding his eyes. The cuffs on her shirt were suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.
"Ahhh, well, I, um, thought you were still seeing Natalie...and god this is sudden and I-"
"Damnit, Petra, that isn't what you were meant to say!" Erd dropped his facade and glared at her, every trace of sincerity gone. "You were meant to say yes and I love you and oh my god let's have sex right now."
"What?" Petra spluttered. "Is there a right way to react to a sudden marriage proposal from someone you believed to have been in a steady, stable relationship with someone who isn't you?!"
"I don't want just a steady, stable relationship with Natalie anymore! I want to marry her!" Erd cried. Petra gaped at him. "Finally? Oh, Erd, that's great!" She pulled him down into a hug, but he tugged away from her, groaning. "It's not great. I have no idea what I'm doing. The others would have no clue either."
"I don't know, but Captain Levi really struck me as the type to ask in situations like these." Petra laughed at her own joke. "Look, practice on me. Aw. Erd, second-in-command to Levi, humanity's strongest, terrified of tying the knot."
"It's not funny," Erd grumbled. "She could say no. No one wants to marry a soldier."
"Shh. If you've been together this long then it's clear she's devoted to you. Get down on one knee."
He did, and she squashed down the irritation that he was only just slightly shorter than her now. "Take my hands, and look me right in the eye. Now say, Will you marry me?"
"Will you marry me?" Erd repeated solemnly. Petra swallowed back a wince at how emotionless he sounded. "Er, yeah. Don't forget to tell her how much you love her and how you'll devote your life to her before you actually say it though. And make it sound like you're actually looking forward to her saying yes, not like you're reading Captain's report. Try again."
"Are women really this demanding?" Erd muttered. Taking a deep breath, he grasped her small hands again, cradling the box.
"I have loved you since the day we first spoke, since our first outing, since we formally began courting. I have loved you since the day you told me you accepted me being a soldier, since you said that it wouldn't lessen your devotion to me, since you said that you were willing to take the risks because I was worth it. I have, and will always love you from the day I first said it and until the day I die. Will you marry me?"
A slow grin began to stretch across Petra's face. "Just. Like. That."
He hadn't meant to. He was just walking down the hallway of the castle, with a big pile of paperwork to hand to Captain Levi, when he noticed an open door and voices from the inside. He didn't think much of it; it was just the other members of Squad Levi. Then he walked past, and saw Erd and Petra.
Erd, kneeling. Holding Petra's hand, cradling a small, ring-sized box.
"-because I was worth it. I have, and will always love you from the day I first said it and until the day I die. Will you marry me?"
Eren's mouth dropped open wide open, and he bolted down the hallway before either of them could notice.
It started with a careless afterthought to Gunther. Gunther had mentioned that Erd and Petra did well in training, that their energy had been high and they didn't lack in spirit. Eren had replied offhandedly with, "Well, yeah, I would expect them to be, now that they're engaged." After Gunther's surprised reaction, Eren recounted what he had seen, before Levi called him away to clean the stables again. Gunther whispered it to Auruo, who choked on his tea. Neither of them dared mention it to the Captain, or let on to Petra and Erd that they knew. As much as Auruo had been dying to confront them about it, particularly Petra and why the hell she never told him, Gunther commanded him to bide his time and wait until they were ready to announce it. Tracking down Eren and making sure he kept it zipped was easy enough.
The Captain himself found out the same night. They were at the table, nibbling at the food rations distributed to every squad, when Auruo couldn't help but sneak glances at the pair, who sat across from each other, trying to pinpoint how deep their affections ran. Petra was recounting a story to Eren, while Erd was chatting to Gunther and Captain Levi about new maneuvers with the gear. He glanced under the table, where Petra kept her legs tucked neatly under her chair and Erd stretched his out lazily; there was no indication of playful footsie. Finally, he focused on Petra's fingers, searching for a ring. Her hands were disappointingly bare. Maybe she wore it on a chain? He stared hard at her neck and chest, trying to find the glint of a chain, the bump of a ring under her shirt.
"Oi, Auruo, stop staring at Petra's chest." the Captain snapped suddenly. Auruo jumped in his seat as Petra whipped around, flushing. He waved his arms frantically as Petra opened her mouth, an angry retort ready on her lips.
"I wasn't staring at your chest! I was looking for the r- argh!" Gunther elbowed him sharply in the gut. Auruo bit down hard on his tongue. With a huff, Petra tossed her handkerchief at him, crossing her arms across her chest self-consciously. "Serves you right."
Wincing, he dabbed at the blood on his lips gingerly. "I really wasn't staring." He told her sincerely. Erd rolled his eyes. "I call bullshit."
Petra nodded at him approvingly, and Auruo almost slammed his palms down on the table in frustration. However, he forced himself to calm down. Gunter was shooting him frantic warning looks, but Auruo was past the point of caring. Eren looked like he was trying to sink into his seat.
"So… Erd, when is the wedding?" He asked the blond man coyly, and he lit up like a Christmas tree. Petra jerked in her seat and she stared hard at Auruo. "How did you-"
"People were going to find out at one point, Pet." Erd calmed her quickly. "We haven't decided yet, but we were thinking in sometime in spring."
"Spring! The flowers are lovely that time of year." Petra sighed dreamily. Eren gaped at her and Gunther buried his face in his hands. The Captain surveyed the goings on silently, and Auruo knew he was closely following every word. He decided to press further.
"What about the venue? Do you have any idea where it's going to be held?"
"Oh! The big church in Karanese; it's where my parents were married. What about there, Erd?" Petra said excitedly. Erd pursed his lips in thought. "Eh. Maybe someplace less conspicuous; I don't think it's going to be a big wedding. Neither of us have many relatives."
"Oh, you're right." Petra sighed. The Captain leaned back. "Would anyone care to tell me what is going on?"
"Erd is getting married." Gunther said bluntly, glaring at Auruo. "I thought it was going to be kept a secret."
Auruo shrugged innocently.
"Congratulations." The Captain said to Erd, his voice devoid of any emotion. "I hope everything turns out well for the two of you."
"Yeah," Erd beamed, but his hands twitched nervously. "I just hope the pregnancy goes smoothly."
Clank.
Auruo's fork clattered to ground. He stared, slack jawed, at Petra. Gunther looked faint. Eren had turned red up to the roots of his hair. Auruo didn't know if he could speak. His throat was so dry, his ears were ringing so loudly, he didn't even realise he was pointing a shaking finger at Petra, who stared up at him in confusion. Erd and Captain Levi were exchanging odd looks as well.
"You're pregnant?!"
Petra spluttered incoherently. "What? Of course not!"
"But you're marrying Erd!" Eren piped up uncomfortably. Erd rounded on him quickly. "Where on earth did you get that idea?"
"Well- I was delivering paperwork to the captain and the door was open and you were on one knee in front of Petra and saying that you would love her until the day you die and you had a small box and it looked like a marriage proposal and-"
"Calm down, kid." Levi said from across the table. "Breathe."
"How could you think I was marrying Petra?!" Erd spluttered. "I mean, no offence Petra-"
"How could you think I was marrying Erd!" Petra shuddered. "He was practicing on me to propose for real to Natalie, the girl he had been courting."
Oh.
Realisation dawned on Auruo. Slowly, he lowered himself back down onto his seat.
Mortified, Eren babbled out apologies to everyone at the table for spreading false information. Petra patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. Everyone sat in silence for a long moment, processing what had just happened. Auruo cleared his throat. "So Petra isn't-"
"No."
"That's a relief." Captain Levi said mildly, tugging his collar aside to reveal a dark hickey on his neck. "I didn't think the same woman who did this last night would be engaged to someone else."
"Levi!"
