Content warnings: Violence and some suggestive adult content

Levi watched the wax crawling down the nearby candle, his chin buried in soft honey hair. He rather liked the faint, clean scent of the hair, the warm feeling of the soft skin of her cheek on his bare chest, the tickle of her breaths on his bicep, and the pressure of her weight against him… it was incredibly peaceful. If he could, he would spend a good five minutes like this every night, the perfect relaxation to unwind from the day and find that sleepful state. If he could do this each night, he thought, maybe he wouldn't need the shots of hard liquor to help him sleep. He always had to be careful with that, to drink just the right amount so that he would become sleepy but not so much that he would wake up hung over.

He preferred this, too, to Petra being all over him, exploring his mouth passionately and digging her fingers in his hair and inching her hips up his lap… it turned him on, incredibly so, but it felt so reckless and overwhelming and it made him fight to keep control of himself. He didn't really know quite how to deal with her yet, and he hated feeling so out of his element like that. It made him feel strangely vulnerable in a way that… frightened him a little, perhaps. Petra wasn't just some slut he picked up at a bar to have sex with, but that was the only type of women Levi had experience with from before his years at the Survey Corps. He'd never had the time to get this close to someone. Everything was so different with her than with anyone else, and he didn't quite know how to be intimate like she would want. She would likely be disappointed, or upset by his coldness. Either way, the implications would be serious if he went all the way with her, if he opened himself up like that… no, it was not something he should do; he knew this. There had to be boundaries. Lying down with her would serve just fine; hopefully she could be content with that.

The moment would have been purely blissful if it were not for the fact that the wax looked like it was about to spill over at any moment. He'd have to move soon to blow out the flame before the wax overflowed onto the wood. If it dried on there, it would be a pain in the ass to remove. Time was running out.

"Oi, did you fall asleep?"

"Not at all," Petra responded right away. "I'm here. Just thinking."

Levi raised an eyebrow; he had expected she was sleeping, based on her even breathing. "About what?"

"That time that you stitched up my hand," she said, sitting back on her heels and raising her palm to contemplate it.

Levi felt the cold air rush in to where her body had been pressed on his and inwardly groaned. "What about it?"

"It was just… unexpected. It was so kind of you that it caught me off guard," Petra admitted, slowly stroking the inside of her palm with her other thumb.

"You were that surprised? Am I that much of an asshole?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Not really, it's more like you're… aloof, I would say. I'm not sure if that's the right word, but you seem like you'd rather avoid getting your hands dirty with that kind of thing," she smiled slightly. "That's why it stood out to me, that you would go out of your way to do it for me."

Levi sat up and blew on the candle just in time. The other candle on the table was still going just fine, and didn't seem like it would overflow, but the space was now a lot dimmer. His eyes fell on the delicate soldier before him, her features lit up softly under the faint light. There seemed to be something in her expression, like she was disappointed she hadn't gotten what she wanted from him but was trying to hide it. To her, it had probably felt like rejection from him, or maybe she was just frustrated with getting all worked up for nothing to happen. And he was, in fact, responsible for that, for slipping off her stockings and kissing her and letting her feel him up. He knew… he didn't want to leave her disappointed. Somehow he couldn't stand the thought of it.

The man sat up and put a hand on her exposed knee. "I'd get my hands dirty any time for you, I don't mind," Levi reached his hand suddenly under her skirt, pressing against the sweet spot between her legs. "See what I mean?"

"Aaaah-!" Petra cried out, face reddening. "What are you-?"

"I won't have sex with you, but I can give you a bit of release," he murmured into her ear, rubbing his fingers slowly at her, through the thin fabric of her underwear, as her arm clutched around his shoulders.

"Hnn-! Levi," she gasped, her legs tensing but her hips pressing forward, her fingers curling.

"You like that? Just say the words. Say you want me to," Levi breathed into her ear, rubbing at her harder now, feeling the heat building between her legs. Fuck, he was really gonna have to work his self control now, not to rip off her clothes right there, but there was no way he'd say no to her.

"...nn… ah, yes, I want you to… please…?" Petra said in a small voice, clutching him, face buried in his shoulder, her legs wrapping around him.

That was all he needed to hear to move her panties aside, pushing two of his fingers inside her as she cried out his name.

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Levi had whispered a quiet goodnight after finishing her off, and just like that he was gone.

Afterwards, Petra stared up at the ceiling in a daze for a few moments, her mind finally catching up on what had just happened, and her breath too.

Did that really just happen? Petra breathed in; her clothes still smelled like him. Her mouth still tasted like him. And her insides… Holy shit, she thought, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut as the memory of climaxing on his fingers came rushing back into her head. His technique had been so good that she hadn't lasted long at all, in fact it was rather embarrassing, she had been so fiercely overcome by that irresistible pleasure… and all the while the man had buried his face beside her neck, giving it soft kisses and breathing hotly, and he kept whispering at her to say his name, over and over, say my name again… just like that… whenever it feels good, say it… that's right…

So she'd said it, again and again, squirming underneath him and moaning his name out and…

How am I going to face him in the morning? Oh god, Petra's face reddened at the thought. He hadn't even undressed her at all, in fact, she was still fully clothed, and yet those few minutes they shared had been so intense. Completely unforgettable, at least for her, yet there was also a feeling that it had been inappropriate and reckless… and a part of her was glad he had stopped them from going all the way. She had never really wanted their relationship to become so sexual like that, not now that they were captain and soldier and it would only complicate things further, yet in the moment she hadn't been thinking clearly. And to think I was the one to shoot him down that night, and now I'm the one who's going crazy and he's suddenly a lot more reasonable… how embarrassing… why couldn't I just stick to kissing him a bit? she groaned, feeling the familiar flutter in her chest; he cares about me, he really does try to make me happy. But he's not perfect. Maybe he doesn't realize... what a bad idea this all is...

She breathed out. Tomorrow was the most important mission they would undertake here. In a few short hours she had to be ready, to have her head in the game 100%. Levi, she knew, would be mature enough to put these thoughts aside. And so she would, too.

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Petra slept for just two hours; she woke up early but full of energy, her adrenaline pumping like it did in the mornings before expeditions outside the walls. She was ready to perform at peak condition.

The five Survey Corps planned to rendezvous discreetly in the small maintenance room that contained the entrance to the underground passageway. Petra was the first to arrive, and after her eyes adjusted to the darkness in the space, she quietly took a seat on a crate, mentally going over all the plan details from last night; the turns she had to take, the things she had to watch for. After a few minutes, Levi arrived, slipping in without a sound, and when he turned his eyes looked surprised to see her for a moment before returning to his usual calm indifference.

"Ral. You're early," he said bluntly, taking a seat on the crate across from her. Unlike her, he hadn't needed the moments for his eyes to adjust it seemed.

"I woke up early, sir," Petra admitted, meeting his eyes - a mistake - her heart lurched as the memories from the night before came vividly back to her, even though it didn't feel quite real, rather like a dream. She didn't bat an eye, and neither did he, but they held eye contact for a while, for… longer than what might be considered normal. The whites of his eyes really stood out in the darkness, even if she could hardly make out much else.

"You didn't sleep well then," Levi finally spoke up, his words in a monotone like a statement of fact as he broke his eyes away, turning his attention to searching for something underneath his cloak.

"That's not true, Captain. It was quality, even if there wasn't much of it. It felt really good."

"Felt really good, huh," the raven-haired corporal said offhandedly, focused on pulling out something from his inner cloak pocket. "I'll take your word on it, then."

Immediately Petra felt her face grow hot, and she was thankful for the darkness then, fighting the urge to squirm in her seat… wishing he wouldn't have to make references like that, not now when she had to focus. Yet he seemed to think nothing of it, composed as ever; she had to play it cool.

Levi turned his attention back to her and put a signal gun in her hands, which she pocketed. "Give me your knife," he said.

This was a bit of a puzzling demand, as his demands sometimes were, but she didn't hesitate to pull out her standard military-issue pocket knife and place it into his outstretched palm. Her captain opened it up and ran a finger gently along the sharp edge, surprisingly not cutting himself in the process.

"Tch, what a piece of shit," Levi said, then pocketed the knife and pressed a different one into Petra's hands. "Take this one."

The soldier turned over the new knife in her hands; it was heavier, and clearly of better quality, though the handle was worn from use. "This is… yours…?" She scrunched her brow.

Before he could answer that, the door opened for Hanji, then a few seconds later Mike stepped in too to relay the final commands from Erwin. Everything moved along quickly, then: they opened the hatch, descended into darkness underground, and Mike wished them luck and closed it up. In the pitch black, the three soldiers wasted no time splitting up into their respective paths, making haste to their designated locations.

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At a run, it only took about ten minutes for Levi to get into the position he was assigned to. He was early, he knew; now it was just a matter of waiting and observing to see if their target would show up.

In the monotony of foul smells and the mundane street above, he found his mind wandering as he waited, for it would be a while still if anything happened; he needed patience. Yet strangely he found himself recalling that sweet scent of Petra's hair from yesterday, how soft the skin on her neck was, and the way she'd kept crying out his name longingly in a way that he didn't want her to ever stop, again and again, Levi… Le...vi…. Leevvii…

What the fuck, Levi blinked, focusing anew on the street above where there was still no motion. Why is this coming to me now? Now's not the time, fuck, I need to focus.

He put the thoughts out of his head and waited a few more long minutes, all his senses and attention focused acutely on his task; but he sensed nothing happening.

Levi narrowed his eyes, feeling as though it had been too long; it was likely, then, that his location was not the one chosen. It was seeming more like either Hanji or Petra would be the one to fire their flares, if they hadn't already.

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Petra had the furthest distance to cover, and although they were early on time, she made sure to move as briskly as she could, only slowing down occasionally to look up from a vent and find one of the landmarks that had been described to her. This let her know without a doubt that she was still on course and going the right way.

I should stop looking up so much. I shouldn't doubt myself, she thought after confirming once again that she was headed in the right direction. It was wasting precious time on a time-sensitive mission. It would be best for her to arrive at the location with time to spare, time to familiarize herself with the setting.

A few minutes passed; she stopped looking up so much and trusted her memory of the route to guide her. Just two more turns and she'd be there…

As she rounded the final corner, she heard a gun shot from above and froze. A small amount of early-morning light filtered down from the vent, only 50 feet away now.

Shit, Petra thought, sprinting the last few feet as quietly as she could. She pressed herself against the wall just out of sight. She heard several voices, hushed male voices… was this it? She had to get an ID on the target, to confirm he was there, but no, there was no time for that… Immediately she pulled out the loaded flare gun, her finger on the trigger, yet at the cries of a woman moaning for help she froze again.

Another shot fired; not her own. A bloodied hand thumped against the top of the vent, the dull thud of a body falling to the floor filled the chamber, accompanied by the laughs of a familiar, sickening voice as a stream of blood trickled down to the floor by Petra's feet.

She pulled the trigger, the sound of the flare going off deafening as it soared through the vent into the skies, and then she ran, cursing herself in frustration, despair, and dismay.

The woman had been killed. At the end of the day, Petra hadn't been able to save anyone.

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The Lance Corporal heard a loud, distinctive shot go off far in the distance.

That's it. Time to go, he thought, moving quickly back along the route he'd come from. The shot meant that either Hanji or Petra had encountered the target; now things could get dangerous for them. The enemy would now know there were people in the underground passages, and they'd surely dispatch some men in pursuit if they could - they likely had time to do as much before Hellen and her squad caught up and arrested them. The smallest among them would be able to squeeze through the vent in pursuit, while the rest of them would attempt to scatter like cockroaches, including the target. The Survey Corps had done all they could; now it was up to the Military Police squad to get there in time to apprehend the criminals.

As Levi neared the entrance, he heard footsteps and halted abruptly. The footsteps then stopped too.

"Identify yourself," a female voice rang out.

"It's me, Hanji."

"Ah," Hanji seemed to breathe out a sigh of relief. "Did you fire your signal gun?"

"No," Levi said. The fact that she was asking told him that it hadn't been her either. "It was Petra's. Her location was about 15 minutes from the entry point. She may have picked up pursuers."

"Alright, let's hurry and find her so we can provide backup if needed."

"If she's being pursued, she might have gone off course to lose them. She might not be so easy to locate."

"Right. Let's split up and search then," Hanji said.

"That would be best. Be careful out there, Hanji." With that, Levi flipped on the hood of his cloak once more and headed off.

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By the sound of the footsteps, Petra could guess there were around three men pursuing her.

Three. That's more than we expected. They were able to open the vent easily and there were three of them small enough to slip into the opening. The target is much too big for that, but he sure does bring a lot of backup it seems. Petra gritted her teeth. He must be paranoid; all the better for us if that means he's hiding something terrible.

To throw them off, she made some quick turns, weaving through the halls this way and that, but they were fast; they weren't gaining on her much, but she couldn't seem to shake them off either. They were quick, and they seemed to be familiar with the setting. If they were more familiar with the underground system than she, it could be bad news. She had to lose them while being careful not to get herself hopelessly lost in the process; but it was possible that couldn't be helped.

If I stick to the path I might be able to run into Levi or Hanji. I can't take all three of them on my own, but with two against three we'll surely be able to knock them out. And then- Petra's eyes widened suddenly, realizing that there were less footsteps behind her now - how could I have missed that? How long has that been? Yet as she skidded to a halt she knew this realization had come too late; time slowed and she had no time to react, no time to change the direction of her momentum to dodge the tackle that came to her from the passageway to her left, a shortcut that her pursuers had known -

Petra fell to the ground forcefully, held down by the weight of a man stronger than she, the wind knocked out of her lungs, ears ringing. She could see stars in the corner of her vision and little else in the darkness, disoriented from the fall and gasping for air.

The two sets of footsteps drew near and stopped.

"You're not gonna believe this shit," the man on top of her laughed to his allies. "Take a look at this one."

Petra's vision came back into focus but she couldn't move - she tried to move an arm, her legs, but she was completely pinned; her efforts didn't even capture the attention of the man.

"You've got to be kidding me," another one of the men, his voice deeper, laughed. "Runt, come see this."

"It's a… it's a girl?" Said the one they called Runt, catching his breath. His voice wasn't as deep as the others - he seemed younger, perhaps in his late teens. "All that trouble for some little girl," he scoffed.

"Probably a street rat," the deep-voiced man said. "Someone must have hired her for this. Boss'll want us to find out who that is."

"I won't tell you anything," Petra spat, finding it hard to talk with her chest being compressed. "Let me go," she shouted, as loud a sound as she could muster, "My-" a hand slapped her just then, hard, sending the stars into her vision once more. The hand then closed over her mouth before she could speak again.

"Listen here, you don't speak until we tell you to, got it? We'll make this as painful as we need to until you cooperate," the man on top of her hissed, grabbing the knife that had fallen to the floor - Levi's knife. He opened it and pressed the edge against the skin right above her left eyebrow. Petra involuntarily let out a muffled cry against his hand as she felt the sharp blade cut through her skin, the blood gushing down over her eye causing her to shut it.

The man laughed. "No way this one's a street rat. Too damn sexy for that. A fucking tease, crying out like that," he dug the knife a bit deeper into the cut, and she let out a cry again for just a moment before willing herself to keep quiet. "You hear that? She's a feisty one. You know how I can't resist the feisty ones," the man smiled, voice thick with lust, his breath assaulting her face as he leaned in closer. "Hold her down boys, will ya? Just a few minutes, and once she's broken I bet she'll tell us all she knows," the words were spoken softly, with deadly precision, like it was all some sort of game he'd done before.

Petra started at this, struggling anew, mustering her strength into squirming, lifting her limbs or her head, anything. It didn't work; for someone of her stature, she could only manage so much strength, despite all the training.

The deep-voiced one sighed, exasperated, but pinned down her arm and shoulder on the left side while Runt took the right side. "How about letting Runt get a turn after? Damn kid needs to get laid at some point."

"Shut up! I get laid all the time! More than you, I bet."

All this was happening quickly; Petra's mind was spinning. She felt the man sit back on her knees, his weight crushing, painful, his hand still blocking her mouth. This can't happen, she thought, heart pounding, I'm a soldier, dammit! Think, think, there's gotta be a way out, her mind raced frantically for a solution, anything, but with three enemies stronger than her pinning her down completely she had few options but to keep struggling, hoping against hope to wriggle free a limb, if only she could grab one of the knives in their pockets, then-

The sound of fabric tearing filled the hall as the man cut through her cloak with the knife, then sloppily cut through her shirt as well, leaving her exposed in just her bra. Petra let out a muffled scream against the hand, struggling anew, fruitlessly, as panic began to set in.

No no no this can't happen- this can't-

She felt the tug on her belt as it was undone, the sickening sound of her zipper being pulled down, and it felt unreal, she felt an utter disbelief that this could be happening - this could not be happening -

And suddenly her attacker cried out in surprise as two knives plunged into his shoulders and he was flung back by a dark, hooded figure. Without thinking Petra wrested her arms free, quite easily, as the enemies were now distracted. She scrambled back, away from them, her head spinning from the blood loss, knowing that without a knife and in her current condition she would be most helpful staying out of the way.

The next events passed in a blur. Without being able to see much, she heard the sounds of a struggle, yet before long with a final thump to the ground the hall fell silent.

The hooded figure approached and crouched before her, piercing catlike eyes met hers with an unmistakable bloodlust, a cold fury, the eyes of a killer - but she was not afraid, no… this man was a person she trusted like no other. Yet with a lurch of dread, she realized, looking at the blood dripping from his dark hair, blood that was not his own, that he had just killed for her.

"Levi..."

End of Chapter

Hello all! :D

Thank you for your patience in waiting for this one. It was tough to write and a little shorter than the others. Hope nobody minds I decided to up the maturity of the story, it just seemed natural with the way things were going. I don't have much experience writing intimate scenes between characters so it was cool to try out!

That being said I'm not going to take this into any long or drawn out smut scenes, that's not my style to write about all that lol. This is probably about as explicit as it will get so don't worry :'D

Stay tuned~