Morning everyone!
Wow it has been a good chunk of change, right? Hopefully the time has found you well! On my end, as you know this last section has been very hard for me to write out for varying reasons, but I'm getting it worked out bit by bit.
Enjoy the read and Happy Sunday!
…
…
"Woah woah – now who said you guys could sit with us?"
Eld's dramatic words were spoken with a sarcastic smile on his face and he looked up from the table where Squad Levi was seated for dinner, over toward where Moblit, Nanaba, and Nifa were standing, just a few feet away. He gave a cheeky smile and nodded toward Moblit specifically, "Been a long time, friend. Still losing hair over that insane boss of yours?"
The taller male gave an exhausted nod and motioned back toward the blonde, "Unfortunately, but I'm not bald yet. And what about you? Still pulling pranks on people and making your Captain miserable? Figured he would have tried to off you by now."
Eld chuckled in good nature, "Oh he's certainly tried, but I've learned to land on my feet. These days I try to take a back seat though – his wife really knows how to keep him in check so I'm trying to cut him some slack." He nodded toward the other members of Hanji's team respectfully, "And to what do we owe the privilege of this little visit? Not often we have other squads join us for dinner. Is there a problem or something?"
Moblit looked toward his team and shrugged in amusement, "It's not like that; Nanaba wanted to see Petra is all."
To his left, Nanaba gave a nod and set her tray down on the table next to Petra, intentionally stepping between her and Eld as she gave a dry laugh, "Don't make it sound like we're starting a turf war, Eld."
Petra gave a small laugh as Nanaba winked in greeting and nestled her way between them, and Eld leaned to once side so he would be seen, making a disgruntled face once he caught Petra's eye. For years he had always sat directly beside her, and apparently he was being replaced without consultation. At his silent outrage, Petra gave a mirthful shrug as though to say 'What can you do' and Eld made a point of pouting, bitterly scooching his chair to one side in attempts to make room for their apparent guests.
Nanaba grabbed a nearby chair and sat down, looking around the table pointedly as she spoke, "And honestly, who said that you guys have sole rights over the Compound anyway – it's not like you're the only group who uses it. I get you guys are the 'elite' squad or some bullshit, but I don't see why that means you have to eat dinner in a whole different section of the campus, like you're too good to eat with the rest of us or something."
"Hey that's all Captain." Gunther responded between bites, also moving his chair in attempts to make room, "He sometimes likes to go over metrics while we're all settled down like this, and he refuses to discuss business in such a noisy environment. Mess hall just isn't his style, and he's the one who calls the shots so we just have to play along."
Oluo continued, "Wasn't easy getting used to it either. We still have to walk to the mess hall, stand in line like everyone else, walk all the way back, eat, and then have someone take care of the dirty dishes. We do that three times a day and I don't think we've had a truly 'hot' meal since the squad's debut because of it."
The other members of the Hanji squad had also settled down, making the table an admittedly tight fit due to the extra number of bodies, and it wasn't even five minutes later that Levi also walked in, blinking in surprise at the fact that his team appeared to have almost doubled in size.
"Hey Captain!" Eld greeted, noticing how the Ackerman had all but stalled in place, as though visibly debating what the hell he was supposed to do considering the table was already beyond max capacity.
Levi looked around the table, quickly putting the pieces together when he heard whispers and giggles – Nanaba and Petra talking back and forth, laughing amongst each other in their apparent conversation and hardly even noticing that he had walked into the room.
"Did you have any business to discuss with us, Captain? As you can see we're in mixed company, but we can meet up later if it's private squad affairs."
Levi looked back toward Eld and slowly shook his head, taking a step back and mentally deciding that it would be best to eat in his office for the night, but as though she had a sixth sense, Petra suddenly looked up from the table with a concerned frown, "Oh Captain, you're not leaving are you? I know it's a tight fit, but we can make room. Its so rare that we ever get to rub shoulders with other squads like this, and the Hanji squad is really great. You'll stay, won't you? Please?"
Levi opened his mouth to respond, but felt a sort of distaste run through him when various members of both squads watched him with smug, knowing stares. Petra still watched him hopefully, unaware of her peers silent jeering, and eventually Levi took a deep breath and moved forward, his gaze settling on Moblit as he frowned in impatience, "You're in my spot."
Moblit blinked, realizing that was Levi's way of telling him to move, and the brunette nodded in growing intimidation under the weight of Levi's scowl, quickly scuttling away and finding 'room' on the already cramped side of the table, so that the Captain could comfortably sit on the edge without his space being encroached upon.
Levi sat down and barely held back an agitated sigh as various conversations continued undaunted, a certain level of chaotic chatter making his anxiety rise from the buzzing room, but his irritation lessened as he noticed Petra give him a wordless smile, looking into her plate with a shy grin as she eventually fixed her expression and turned back to Nanaba; more giggles and whispers exchanged between the two women as they continued chatting.
From across the table, there was a soft 'Hey Petra!' from Nifa, who nodded toward her expectantly and spoke up, "I'll have you know that all your work got dumped on me. I was looking through it and I gotta say you had some really interesting leads – some of them were pretty above my head and I had to ask Hanji what you were going on about. Why'd you leave the project? I feel I should be taking notes from you, and I've been doing this for two years now."
Hearing this, Petra gave a laugh and shook her head in embarrassment, "You think so? I tend to think more in the abstract, so I can rabbit trail pretty easily and I'm not always that efficient about these things. I'm glad Hanji managed to piece it together for you but if you need it to be looked over then I can always-"
The sudden sound of Levi clearing his throat grabbed her attention, and he gave a single shake of his head. Both Nanaba and Nifa looked entirely confused when Petra suddenly fell silent at once, and from the side of the table there was a mirthful chuckle from Eld, "What Captain's wordless scorn means to say, is that Petra's not allowed to anymore and that you guys are on your own. She's officially a full timer here on Squad Levi and we couldn't be more thrilled."
"Wait, you're not 'allowed' to?" Nanaba repeated with a scoff, "The hell does that even mean?"
"It's what Erwin wants for the time being," Petra explained with a sigh, "And honestly it's probably not something that's up for public discussion like this either. The long and the short is, when I was on leave I really got invested in the numbers side of things and kind of made a splash with the different factions, but now that I'm back on active duty, that means fulfilling the role I'm contracted into, which isn't of course the Hanji squad and he's very adamant that I return to my normal duties and nothing else."
"Lame." Nanaba responded with a flat voice, and she gave Petra a nod, "You may be contracted to the Elite Squad, but you'll always be an honorary member on our squad too. We enjoyed having you around, you know? Hanji isn't always available, and like Nifa said, it's clear you know your stuff so it was good to have you as a resource. It's been quiet now that you've gone back onto squad Levi, and we all kinda decided that we wanted to rub shoulders with you all."
"Well we are pretty interesting." Oluo spoke up from his side of the table, and Nifa responded with an amused scoff.
"Right. What do you guys even do all day?"
"We train." Oluo supplemented quickly, then he shrugged, "Make bets, clean – just generally kick ass and take names. Of course it's been a slow year thanks to the gas shortage, but I'll have you know that over sixty percent of all Titan kills are done by this squad alone."
Nifa gave a slow nod, and she eventually smirked, "Right, and out of those kills, how many are actually just made by Captain Levi specifically?"
Oluo's once smug smile turned a bit more sullen and Nifa's smirk only grew all the more pronounced at the blonde's telling and humbled whisper, "He uh…Captain doesn't keep track so it's hard to say." A moment of silence passed, and Oluo added in, "I've got the highest recorded kill count though so-"
"Oh for fuck's sake!"
"There he goes again."
"Only because you always demand to go it solo!"
The various complaints from the other members of squad Levi caused the Hanji squad to outright laugh at the sudden turn of conversation, and even Levi found a small grin pulling subtly at the corners of his lips, undeniably amused by his squad's antics and their unsatiable need for validation.
He hadn't said anything and continued eating, allowing his squad to continue on as they pleased until he eventually finished eating and stood up from the table with a single nod to silently excuse himself. Seeing this, Petra almost immediately shoved a few mouthfuls of food down and hastily stood up from the table, forcefully chewing and swallowing so she could speak, "You're finished, Captain? Let me walk the dishes back with you."
She wiped her mouth and looked around the table, "Anyone else finished? Let me take your plates; might as well."
She grabbed a few plates from off the table and moved beside Levi, who then wordlessly grabbed a majority of the collected plates out of her hands so they weren't stacked in her arms so haphazardly. He looked back toward the table and whispered softly, "You sure you want to go? You don't want to have uh…girl time or whatever? You know, with Nifa and Nanaba?"
Petra shrugged, "Well they'll all be back on Friday, so there's no real rush or anything. We can all catch up then."
"Wait, they're coming back?"
Petra blinked.
"Yeah, didn't you hear that part? We're all planning to play poker on Friday after we're all off duty because Eld is determined to prove that his skills are unmatched and Nanaba thinks he's full of it. We asked you if you had a problem with it considering it would likely keep us up past curfew and you didn't say anything so…we assumed you were fine with it. Are you telling me that you weren't even listening?"
She stared at him for a long time because it was obvious that Levi really hadn't been paying attention, and the Captain picked his words carefully, "It's just…a little loud."
Petra gave a soft knowing smile and looked back towards the table as she spoke up above the chatter, "Hey guys, Captain and I are gonna head out. Friday, okay?"
After a few waves, Petra followed after Levi and she gave an apologetic grin after seeing the sullen expression on his face, "Sorry. Should I not have asked you to stay?"
Levi looked toward her with a passing glance and she sighed, "I wasn't meaning to put you on the spot – its just I really liked being with all of them last week and we talked a lot about you – they've all been in the Scout Regiment for a while and still know next to nothing about you. People find you pretty intriguing, you know? Not sure what I was expecting by having you eat dinner with the rest of us, but maybe I should have been more considerate because I know you don't like crowds that much."
"Don't worry about it. It was thirty minutes at best and you did nothing wrong; it's not like you forced me into it or anything. I just…" Levi sighed and looked toward the ground in a soft mumble, "I'm not like Erwin. People expect me to say something profound or some shit, and I never really know what they're wanting from me. It's just easier to stay quiet and avoid people unless I have business with them."
Petra was tempted to reach out to him, to place her hand on his shoulder and say something encouraging because sure, there were moments that his 'way with people' was downright obscene, but other times, well, other times he was far better off than he gave himself credit for. Of course, with all the dishes in her hands, there wasn't much she could do in that sense so she merely offered him a smile and they continued moving down the path.
When they finished returning the used dishes to the mess hall, Petra stared down the path ahead and smiled, "You know Captain, it's going to be a nice night. You want to stay out a little bit? Watch the sunset and just relax for a few hours? Now that Erwin's said I can't see to any extra projects; I've got a lot of spare time so…" Her smile turned somewhat mischievous and she gave an innocent shrug, "If we bring a blanket or something and find a nice quiet spot, I'll bet we could find something to do to pass the time."
Levi groaned, "Fuck, don't tempt me. I have shit to get done and I can't really put it off. And before you even offer, no, it's not something you can help me with. Erwin doesn't want you messing with any of the paperwork side of things and frankly, I agree that enough is enough. Believe me, I'd much rather spend the night with you, but I'll have to stay in my office at least until curfew, if not longer."
Petra gave a disappointed nod and crossed her arms behind her back in thought, "Sorry if I'm being too needy. If I am, just say so and I'll leave it be, but would you mind if I kept you company? I know you have to work, and I know you won't even consider me helping you but I can read a book or something, maybe write a letter to my dad. I'll be quiet and let you work so-"
"Why are you so nervous?" Levi's almost irritated voice cut her off, and he looked toward her in growing frustration, "I've told you that I like being around you and that you aren't a burden to me. I've told you things far more valuable than that, so I don't see why you always have to question me on it."
Regardless his words, Petra chewed on her lower lip, "Say what you want but there's a big difference between 'I want you by my side' referring to your life, and the sheer practicality of actually being next to you all the damn time. It's okay if you need your space tonight because I know that you're already tapped out from dinner, so I just wanted to check with you before-"
"Fuck's sake." Levi allowed his hand to land on the top of Petra's head, and he turned her toward him and watched her seriously, "Just stay with me; come and read, or write your letters, or whatever the hell you want. It's fine, okay?"
Levi watched in admitted satisfaction when Petra's eyes widened and she slowly nodded, a blush coming to her face as she made eye contact with him for only a split second and then lost her nerve and looked into the ground sheepishly.
"…Thanks, Captain."
…
...
The week had continued on day by day, and as the day's training would come to an end and Petra found herself with hours of free time, every night, it was hard to imagine that almost six months ago, such a thing had actually been normal for her. She hadn't ever thought so much would change by simply requesting that Hanji teach her how to do Levi's paperwork back when he was sick, but ever since then, her free time had been gradually whittled away until the concept of constant free time was simply a thing of the past.
She wasn't aware of it at the time, but it was now painfully obvious that she had become used to the demands.
To suddenly have all her nights free, for hours at a time, was entirely surreal and the admitted boredom was driving her mad. Worse still, it had been less than a week since Erwin's issued orders and she was already going stir crazy with the need to be more productive or do something of value once training let up. She had tried to find ways to be productive on her own terms in a manner that didn't break Erwin's order. She had cleaned her room down to the smallest of details, reorganized all of her belongings and threw away unneeded mementos and trinkets from her past that she no longer treasured – a stack of love letters from Timmy, dating back to when they were still together, being one of the first things to go.
She had written her father, organized her books by genre and author, and then dusted and washed every surface imaginable. After finishing with her room, she had gone to the stables and brushed her horse, then the Captain's, and then her squad mate's horses as well, considering she had the time.
That was when she metaphorically threw in the towel, because she had run out of ideas and it was only the second day.
On day three once training was completed, she eventually found herself in Levi's office, bemoaning her absolute boredom because she felt the constant, nagging impulse to be doing something productive but had simply run out of ideas. After sitting through a considerable rant, Levi looked up from his desk with a flat expression, told her that it was her problem, and went back to work just the same. Petra had tried to win him over with a pouty expression, perhaps a whine or a sigh that might invoke even the slightest amount of empathy from him, but the stoic Captain remained unaffected until Petra had eventually given up and just gone to bed early instead.
The next night, Petra had found herself back in his office, admittedly paying him a visit simply out of the need to be doing something, and when she not so coincidentally found herself at his side, running her hands over his stomach and eventually finding herself trailing lower in a not so innocent manner, Levi had stiffened and told her to keep her hands to herself because he didn't have time for her teasing and couldn't afford to get distracted. When she had tried again a mere twenty minutes later, the Captain had chuckled and stood up from his desk with a sigh, and then gave her a beckoning sort of grin as he nodded toward the hallway in acceptance. Petra couldn't help but feel triumphant as she followed behind him step for step, because surely that would be a good way to burn a couple hours, and it was then that Levi opened his office door for her, and once she had moved through the doorway, Levi shut the door with a flick of his wrist.
It was a baffled Petra that suddenly found herself standing alone on the wrong side of a closed door, and there was an amused hum from inside Levi's office as he told her that if she actually wanted that sort of time with him, he'd come visit her room later but unlike her, he actually had things he needed to get done so she'd have to spend her time elsewhere if she was just going to be pulling stunts like that.
Again he reminded her that her boredom, was her problem.
Thankfully, Thursday night had passed a little less painfully, since the Captain had used a majority of their free time discussing the outcomes from the Expedition – admittedly a frustrating experience for Petra, who was suddenly finding out the results of the Expedition on the backend, rather than being the person responsible for putting all the data together – and what the Regiment's initiatives were going forward as a result.
They had spent numerous hours discussing options, how the gas shortage and the subsequent utilization had impacted their team specifically, as well as the official dates for the next Expedition and the sorts of training they would do to be ready for it. Winter expeditions were always the hardest – it was cold, the conditions were harsh, the 3DM gear tended to malfunction at a higher rate, but even still, there was important research to be done regarding how the Titans were impacted during such conditions, so regardless the higher risk, the Scouts weren't spared from such a task and prepared as best they could for the increased danger.
Friday night couldn't have come soon enough, and Petra found a spring in her step as she moved out of the shower, grabbing a towel and beginning to dry the water off her skin as she looked over her shoulder and handed Levi a towel, admittedly embarrassed by the way he watched her so intensely.
"Hey - keep those wandering eyes to yourself, Captain. You said you were too busy to start anything up, and that it really would be just a shower because it's the only way you'd have time to play poker with us tonight. Remember?"
She all but threw his towel at him and Levi smirked as he caught the fabric, shrugging as he stepped out of the shower and beginning to dry off casually, still not bothering to look away from the blushing ginger, "That means I can't even look?"
Petra snorted, "There's a difference between looking and staring, Captain."
Levi gave a half smile and he stepped toward her, grabbing the towel out of her hands and setting it on the sink, pulling her against him as he ran his nose over the side of her face, pressing his lips against her jaw and tasting the water that was clinging to her skin, "And what if I told you I changed my mind?"
His hands were gliding down her water slicked skin, and he had to wonder if the goosebumps beneath his fingertips was a result of his actions, or if it was the suddenly cool air that was to blame.
"You have to get your paperwork done, Captain. I really want you to play with us tonight!" Petra returned his kiss, but with muted and obvious restraint, and she sighed when Levi moved lower, kissing her collarbone with growing need as he ground his hips into hers.
Levi groaned at her words, "Yeah, but I really want to play with you, right now."
"We don't have any protection in here, Levi."
His hands were tracing over her body with building confidence and he smirked when he grabbed her ass and she gave a surprised squeak. He gave her a single kiss and looked at her seriously, "I thought you said your birth control was in full effect now so I didn't think we had to be as, you know, cautious or whatever. If it matters to you that much, we can just take this back to my room."
Petra gave a soft moan at feeling his body against hers, feeling his desire and his stubborn persistence, and she shook her head, "No but…Captain I really want you there. If you waste time with me in here-"
"Oh trust me Pet, it's not wasted time at all."
"-Then you won't have time after dinner and frankly, we can mess around like this later. I don't even know the last time we've had two teams getting together like this, and even for our own game nights you never really join in. Please? We're all kinda curious to see how the famous Captain Levi plays poker and it just won't be the same if you're not there."
Levi gave a low, disgruntled sigh as he fell still and let his head rest against her shoulder for a prolonged moment.
"…You really want me there, huh?"
Petra gave a nod and wrapped her arms around his back in a soft embrace, "You know I love getting to be with you like this, but I also know you've gotten out of the habit of managing your own office work considering I've been doing a fair share of it for so long now. This is a bad time to fall behind, you know?"
Levi took a step away from her, grabbing both his towel and her own as he conceded the victory to his wife, handing her her towel with a sullen frown, "I liked you better when you had no concept of time management. Erwin manipulated the shit out of you, and now I'm realizing that I should have been doing the same damn thing. Fucking figures – that ship has long since sailed and you're much harder to fool now."
Petra smiled and wrapped the towel around her body, leaning toward him and giving him a single, quick kiss, "I'll make it up to you later, Captain. See you at dinner!"
With that, Petra had gathered her things and left the room, and Levi groaned, begrudgingly doing the exact same thing and preparing himself for a long, loud night.
…
...
"That's bullshit!" Nanaba called out loudly as she jetted up from her chair, all but slamming her cards onto the table and furiously raking a hand through her hair, "I had fucking three of a kind! Kings! Three fucking kings!"
Eld gave a proud smirk and reached for the pile of coins resting at the center of the table as he looked toward Nanaba, "And what a hand it was! But you're gonna have to do better if you want to beat my full house. Maybe next time, you'll have better luck? I mean, you did say beating me would be as easy as pie right?"
"Wipe that shit eating grin off your face, jackass. The night is still young and I'm not out of cash yet!"
Nanaba was clearly furious, and Petra gave a sad sigh as she tossed her cards in towards the deck, giving an embarrassed chuckle, "Yeah, I lost on that hand too. I uh…figured my two Aces would be enough but…"
"That's a pair." Gunther reminded her bemusedly, "A pair of Aces."
There was yet another dramatic groan from Nanaba, who grumbled and sat back down into her chair with a pointed plop. She glared at Oluo and snapped her fingers persistently, "Hey! You gonna sit there laughing like a dumbass, or you gonna start shuffling the deck? It's your turn to deal."
Moblit gave an amused grin and rolled his eyes as he nudged Oluo with his elbow, "Hey don't let her get to you man, she's just embarrassed that she lost another round. She kinda lives by the rule that whoever shouts the loudest comes out ahead – probably the embarrassment talking more than anything else."
"Oh fuck you, Moblit. I'm just getting warmed up is all! Deal up the next round already, what's all this chatter for?"
"The only one talking is you…" Nifa mumbled softly, and there were a few chuckles from across the table as Nanaba scowled and bitterly began picking up her cards as they were delt to her.
Petra looked to the head of the table and sighed, "You know Captain, I've got to say you are a lot less exciting to play with than I thought you'd be. You've folded every hand and haven't even tried to bet over the minimum even a single time. If you don't actually take a few risks, you'll never come out ahead. Even if you haven't had any good hands, that's where bluffing comes in, you know?"
Levi watched her with a raised brow and gave a single nod as he picked up his cards casually, "You're giving me tips, Petra?"
"Well I just…even if it's only a bit every round, you've still been losing so I figured if you needed help understanding the strategy or-"
"Oh he knows Petra," Eld responded knowingly, taking a look toward Levi and nodding in understanding, "We've got some new faces and he's still sizing up the competition. My guess is that he'll start playing for real in a few more rounds, but until then he'll keep throwing his hands until he's got a better feel for the table. Pretty boring if you ask me."
Petra looked between Eld and Levi, and the blonde continued, "Captain and I are different in that sense. For him, he is more cautious in nature and likes to learn people from the shadows. He won't really make a move until he knows it will pay off. Me? I like to live a little more on the fly. I'll make more mistakes but I learn quicker and more often then not I'll still come out ahead. Captain's simply too cautious and Hold'em is about getting it while the getting's good."
Levi looked at his cards and set them down onto the table, watching the blonde stoically as he spoke, "Yeah, keep talking Eld. After all, if everyone here knows my intentions and doesn't perceive me as an immediate threat, they'll probably start betting higher right?"
Eld's smile widened and he shrugged, "Hey you have your strategy and I have mine. Still though, Petra does have a point. If you don't come in and make your move, you're not going to win."
At Eld's chiding words, the Captain looked over toward him with a scoff, "And just who says my goal is to win?"
Eld rolled his eyes, taking a single glance toward Petra, watching as her green eyes nervously stared at her two cards in clear bewilderment, and it was obvious to him that she didn't feel she had any promising leads. Regardless, she was seated as the big blind and had to make the full bet, so she sobered her expression and placed a few coins in front of her, and the bets went around the table until they had made their way back to the dealer.
Oluo nodded after confirming the needed bets had been placed and the first three cards were revealed – an eight, a jack, and a five.
Eld almost chuckled at Petra's sullen reaction as she looked between her hand and the board, because to this day Petra was painfully unaware of the fact that she was an obvious read. After Moblit raised the bet by an additional fifty cents, she took a breath and again placed in the required bet, setting her cards down and looking back toward Levi, who merely did the same as though hardly even paying attention to the game around him.
Eld tossed in the needed change and laughed at the Captain's intentionally bored expression, "You know, act as aloof as you want but you're not fooling me Captain. You still want to win – it's just that our desired payouts look a little different is all. What, trying to impress the Mrs. I presume?"
"By winning a few handfuls of pocket change? Seriously? Give Petra more credit than that, Eld."
"Oh what, you don't think she's watching you? Bet you'll play it up for all it's worth, acting cool and unaffected, and then-"
"Will both of you just can it already?" Again Nanaba piped up, a fierce expression on her face as she looked around the table and nodded, "I'm going to raise the stakes here and now; throw in five bucks. Any of you going to have the guts to call, or you all going to fold outright like little bitches?"
There were a few groans, Gunther grumbling that the minimum bet was only fifty cents and he folded without hesitation, because 'Bite me'. Moblit and Petra also both chose to fold with similar grim expressions, and then much to the table's surprise, Levi stoically pushed a few additional bills toward the center of the table and cleared his throat, "I'll re-raise with an additional five of my own. Your move, Eld."
There were a few whistles at the suddenly large pot that had now vastly blown their fifty-cent minimum out of the water, and the blonde looked toward Levi, snorting as he shook his head in bitter amusement, "Wow. Way to fuck me over, Captain. Say one damn thing and he gets petty on my ass. Fine. Seems how you're actually playing this round…I'll call."
Eld placed an even ten onto the table and looked over toward Nifa, who set her cards down and shrugged, "You guys are too rich for my blood. All that money with nothing in the dealer's hand but a measly jack? Yeah, have fun with that."
Oluo gave a smirk after Nanaba coughed up the newly heightened wager, and then burned the next card, and flipped another over to reveal the three of clubs. There were groans and chuckles at the obvious bad luck, and Oluo laughed at the miserable deck and nodded toward Levi, "Back to you Captain. Hope that was worth it."
Levi's expression didn't change, and he merely threw another few bills toward the center, "Raising another four."
More laughter and whistles could be heard from the observing table, and Eld practically groaned as he counted the remaining funds he had set out on the table, coming up short and giving a glare toward the Captain, who had undoubtedly made his bet with that exact reason in mind.
"Shit, Captain!" Eld looked toward Levi and rolled his eyes at the Captain's intentional sabotaging, "Fuck, I knew I shouldn't have sat by you – you're petty as fuck! This is a shit hand and you're raising it like Oluo flipped you a royal flush!"
"What? Outta money over there, big shot?" Nanaba taunted from his opposite side, and Eld groaned.
"Calm down woman. I call." Eld reached into his jacket for some additional funds, all but slamming the bills down onto the table with a huff as he looked back toward Levi with a challenging, haughty smirk, "Thought you had me with your price gouging? Well you're gonna have to try harder than that to intimidate me, Captain. I came prepared."
Nanaba grumbled at Eld's persistence and also called, and Oluo burned another card and flipped the last card over.
"All this money for a…seven of diamonds. Wow." Oluo grimaced in sympathy and shrugged, "Tough luck everyone."
"What a shit deal, Oluo. Glad I folded when I had the chance; talk about a bad round." Gunther snorted, and even Petra found herself nodding in agreement, undeniably fascinated by this round and curious as to what it was that they were all betting on so adamantly because by all accounts, the board was fairly useless.
Oluo turned his attention toward the head of the table and gave a point of his head, "All yours, Captain."
Levi looked at his cards and again was throwing more money across the table, "I'll bet. Putting down another five."
Eld's blue eyes narrowed at yet another large wager and after a long pause, he looked toward Levi and gave a heavy sigh, "You know what - fine, Captain. I see where this is going, and I fold. You win."
Nanaba gave a scoff as she grinned proudly, "Folding at the last second? Yeah, some man you turned out to be. I'm feeling pretty good about these odds, so I'll call. Someone's gotta hold the man accountable." She placed more bills onto the table and looked toward the Captain narrowly, "Guess it's you and me Levi - let see what you've got."
Nanaba set her cards down, revealing two pairs, and Levi also set his hand down - a simple nine of spades and a ten of diamonds.
At once, the table was instantly roaring with hoops and laughter, because the Captain's simple cards, combined with Oluo's, created a straight from the seven to Jack, and Nanaba groaned and sat back into her chair with a frustrated huff because again, her respectable hand had still been beaten by someone else.
"How the hell does this keep happening? I swear the only person I like on this whole damn squad is Petra." Nanaba brought a hand over her eyes and groaned, "Petra, your husband's a dick."
Eld gave a half grin and shrugged, watching as Levi silently collected the largest pot that the game had yet produced without so much as a smirk, and he sighed in disappointment as he turned toward Nanaba, "That's why I had to fold. Not that I knew how good his hand was or wasn't, but I told you I didn't expect to see Captain start playing for real for at least another few rounds yet, so for him to come in strongly like that meant he had a pretty good hunch that his cards would line up in the end. Sorry to tell you this Nanaba, but we've got a few dark horses on this squad. If Captain isn't a problem enough, you've got me and Gunther as well; Gunther has a real knack for the odds and can really get inside your head if you let him. Oluo is slow and steady and Petra…well, she's learning, but she can take a round with sheer, dumb luck so I can't really count her out either. In all fairness, Captain would probably wipe the floor with all of us, if he actually applied himself. But he never does, so unless you piss him off like I just did by opening my mouth last round, then for the most part he's pretty mild."
"Oi, if you've learned your lesson then shut the fuck up." Levi organized the bills back into his jacket with a warning stare of annoyance, "Anytime you want to go toe to toe with me Eld, just say the word. Next time just piss off and let me play how I see fit."
Petra looked at the cards, then back to Levi in confusion, "So you really gambled all that on a measly nine and ten? That's uh…really ballsy, Captain. The board was awful and your hand would have been worthless if it hadn't been for that seven at the last minute. You say Erwin likes to play the odds, but that was something else entirely."
Her words were hushed, as though she were legitimately confused, and Levi shrugged, "Don't read into it. I made a gamble and it paid off; just luck of the draw I guess."
He could have explained more – could have explained that her crest fallen reaction from the beginning had told him that she didn't have any face cards, because as an inexperienced player, she only valued face cards where anything else was a disappointment, could have explained that his nine and ten were middle of the road numbers that could have either lead to a straight going up or down the line, could have explained how the pattern of people folding to the stubbornness of Eld and Nanaba only further cemented his decision – but not wanting to delve into any of that with her, Levi had simply chalked it up to 'luck of the draw'.
Petra hadn't pressed him on it, and the game continued on.
Eventually, after a decent number of hands and a few rounds that had left him feeling like he had made a decent showing, Levi stood up from the table and confirmed that he was done for the night. In some ways, he wouldn't deny that he had had fun, enjoying getting to mess with his squad and play the game in ways they hadn't expected, but eventually he was getting bored and it wasn't like a four-dollar pot was all that thrilling for him.
After confirming that he was going to go to his room for the night, he had expected Petra to give a disappointed frown or tell him to stay for just one more hand, but she had only given him a smile and wished him a good night and that she was glad he had made the time to join in.
From there, the games had continued at a more leisurely pace until almost everyone but Eld and Gunther had run out of money, and instead of going their separate ways, Petra had put on a pot of coffee and their night continued on. They had stayed up chatting for some time – about the expeditions, about their families back home, their thoughts about how the government handled current events, the Scout Regiment specifically, and what they loved and hated about their jobs.
Her squad had mainly focused on the redundancy of training – the never-ending cycle of the Omega formation or the brutal training exercises the Captain implemented to keep them in shape and disciplined, and the Hanji squad gave a few horrified nods, gaped at their stories from the expeditions, and confirmed that even though they were in the same line of work, their daily functions looked vastly different.
They talked about their own pain points, how the papers kept coming in, how the numbers didn't always add up and how frustrating it was that it was almost impossible to clock off because their brain could keep running through scenarios long after they turned in their work for the day.
Much to her amazement, Petra found herself more readily agreeing with the members of the Hanji squad, eagerly sharing her stories from when she was still in a cast, all the funny situations she had found herself in as she worked predominantly with Erwin and Hanji directly, as well as the times that had kept her up late and the fact that the mental fatigue was just as, if not more exhausting, than a full line up of Levi's notorious physical conditioning routines.
A few more sarcastic and pointed jabs, a few more promises of next time and talks of what their future run in's might look like, the two squads went their separate ways – their poker night officially at an end.
…
...
"Hey Captain…"
It was late into the night that Petra snuck her way into Levi's room, closing the door behind herself and stepping further into the room with slowed steps, struggling to see in the dark as she moved toward the bed from memory. She heard Levi's breathing fall out of sync and there was a soft exhale that sounded like an exhausted yawn. "Sorry, were you asleep?"
His voice came from the opposite end of the room and the bed creaked slightly as he shifted across the surface, "Don't worry about it. Is everything okay? Tell me you're not just now getting to bed, right? It's…shit, it's late Petra. Thought I told you guys not to stay up like this."
She carefully moved her hand lower, touching the surface of the bed testingly before crawling up, moving toward one side of the bed as Levi shifted to make room for her. Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the light, and she could just barely make out her Captain's concerned expression as she began to shift under the blankets wearily.
"No, we went to bed a while ago. I just…I couldn't sleep, too much on my mind." She seemed to nervously stall in place, then she leaned toward him, nudging him to lay down as she hesitantly and cautiously rested her head against his chest, a certain uneasiness to her actions that made Levi's mind swim with sudden questions.
He wrapped his arms around her carefully, not certain if that was what she was wanting or not, and after an infuriatingly long silence, Petra eventually sighed in defeat and spoke softly into the night air, "I've been tossing and turning for hours now, thinking about what I want out of my career…hell, what I want out of my life and…" she looked toward the Captain directly as she paused, pushing her bangs out of her face as she continued softly, "It's been just over a week since we've talked to the Commander and he put me back on the squad. This whole week, I've done nothing but train, focused all of my effort into effective form and execution, exactly like he wanted, but…all I can think about is what's next. With data from the last Expedition, every new discovery might just be the thing that changes it all, and even though I love the guys and I feel right at home here, being around Nanaba and Moblit as they talk about their own workload and the initiatives they've received from Hanji…it's like I'm outside looking in because…we all know that that's where I should be."
Petra's voice softened as she spoke with conviction, "We all have to play our parts in this to the fullest; that was the entire point of me joining the military in the first place and so…I think it's time that I accepted a career path geared towards analytics and probability. It's where I'll make the biggest impact, and in a sense, that's all that matters. I have to do my part, and it's time I accepted responsibility for my skills and put them to use."
Levi remained quiet for some time, and once he was certain that she had nothing more to say, he gave a nod and looked down toward her, "If that's what you want, then it's time you talked to Erwin. He's already got material and work lined up for you, but I'll admit you're a bit early. Erwin didn't think you'd come to that conclusion, let alone actually have the balls to say it out loud, until the end of next week at best. Looks like I'm gonna have to rework all my material – maybe Erwin's losing his touch, huh? Even still, you'll be unofficially pulled off my squad for good, and from there your daily 'training' will shift into a lot of assigned reading, various timed tests and materials to help prepare you in a more coordinated, academic setting. He'll go over strategy, tactics, a historical approach to civic unrest and how the economy impacts military efforts – a whole lot of boring shit that him and Four Eyes eat up. I'll let you tell him when you feel ready, but just be aware that once you do – there's no going back. Life will change, whether you're ready for it or not."
Petra nodded in contemplation, "Yeah. That's why I'm here, I guess." She could feel the weight of his stare and after a silence fell across the room, she looked up toward the ceiling and sighed, "I don't know if I'm ready for that just yet. It's the right thing, at the right time, so why then? Why is it so damn hard? That's been the whole point, right? Get better, do better, grow in my career and make a difference but…"
She paused, a tightness in her throat suddenly making it difficult to speak, and she forced a smile as she refused to meet his stare, "You know, I'm really, really going to miss you being my boss, Levi. I know its not how things were ever meant to end up but even still – you and I, the guys - on the battlefield, we all make one hell of a team."
She gave a short laugh when her voice cracked, and regardless her attempts to laugh it off, her bottom lip quivered and she groaned, wiping her eyes before any tears fell as though embarrassed by her overflow of emotions, "I love the guys, and you, and I don't want things to ever change because it's meant everything to me. You are all family so I don't even know how to say goodbye and just close this chapter of my life. I don't even know if I can. I mean, of course I can but, I really don't want to. I love how things are and to purposefully change all of it…"
Levi gave a half smile, touched by her tender words, and he placed a hand on her head to grab her attention, "Petra. You know this time isn't going to last, right? Even if you don't leave, someone else will, sooner or later. Eld has been leading training all year, and I know he's been working with Erwin to network with the training division – he wants to be a lead trainer for the 3DM gear material and it would be a great fit for him. Gunther and Oluo both want to command their own teams eventually, and of course you've been working on the numbers side of things for a while now. Frankly, it's just a matter of who makes the first move I guess, but the reality is that I'm going to have to fill a number of positions over the next few years. Things are changing, and even if it hurts, you still have a responsibility to the Scouts, so long as you're under contract."
He gave a heavy sigh and moved a lock of her hair to the side, his voice gentle as he spoke in recollection, "When I married you, I told you that I'd never force your path, and I won't but…Petra." He paused and gave her a serious look, his eyes catching the moonlight as he held her gaze, "It is time for you to move on, and forge your own path because you need more out of your career than what I can give you. It's okay, Pet."
Somehow, his words that were meant to be encouraging only caused the smaller woman to slump her shoulders and give a soft cry, unable to ward off her tears any longer because she had been dreading this moment, this acceptance and painful change for months. Levi almost chuckled, sitting up slightly and giving a half grin at his notoriously brave and outspoken wife, tip toeing into his room in the stillness of the night, just to break down and cry like this.
He leaned down toward her, somewhat adjusting her position as he pressed his lips against hers, pressing his tongue into her mouth when she gasped, and Levi was already pushing her lower into the bed, palms tracing her sides with a growing hunger as she gave a sniffle and wiped her eyes.
"Right now, Captain?" she asked in a tearful, high voice, and he could only shrug, because why not?
"Yeah. Let me distract you, just for a little while." He continued kissing her, pressing his lips into her skin, smelling her hair and enjoying the feel of her smaller body pressed directly against his, and from beneath him, Petra gave an accepting sigh and wrapped her arms around him. "Tomorrow." She stated in a whisper, her breath uneven from a mix of her emotions and her racing mind, "I'll tell everyone tomorrow. And…that will be that, I suppose."
He bit the skin of her neck with a graze of his teeth, enjoying the whimper that left her throat and he nodded, "Yeah. I'll let you talk to Erwin on your own time; there's no rush. Right now though, let me have you for a while like this, okay? Tell me what do you want?"
"To not have to think about tomorrow." She responded forlornly as she ran her fingers down his back in a languid, gentle caress that spoke of her sorrow, "To not have to think about saying goodbye to everyone."
Petra gave a bitter smirk and traced the side of his face as she met his gaze directly, "Fuck me hard tonight Captain, okay? I don't want to think about anything else right now but this."
There was a sudden spark of anticipation in the Ackerman's eyes, and he began pulling her shirt up over her head with a grin, "Whatever you say, Pet."
"And Captain?"
"Yeah."
"I want to move in here. Your room I mean. Is that okay?"
Levi paused in surprise for a split second at the blatancy of her request, but only for a moment, and he nodded into her skin in acceptance, "Yes. But not right now. You've got enough on your plate to deal with, without the stress of moving in and living together. After your job is selected and you know what kind of role to expect, move your things in then. If that's what you want, that is. I don't mind at all."
Petra nodded in agreement, allowing her Captain to continue pulling off her clothes and praying that the daylight didn't come too soon.
...
End of Chapter
...
Alright, this was actually I think the longest chapter to date? And confession, I could write an entire one or two shot over the Scouts playing poker. I found myself REALLY wanting to delve into hand after hand but, ya know, you guys get the picture haha. Maybe that will be future material for a stand-alone piece when I get board one night and decide to write out more Squad Levi fun.
And yeah not that its this big 'surprising reveal' at this point with Petra's career choice, but I have to give a head nod and say that for the most part I'd agree with some reviews from last chapter – I wouldn't see Petra in normal situations giving up her roll on the battlefield for a job behind a desk but in this particular story, I'd like to think I've done the work to keep her in character and her decisions justified. (It is perfectly fine if you disagree though! I knew from the very beginning that this would be a grey area.) I wanted to work with Petra's character to have her see herself that she had more to offer, but SPECIFICALLY in areas where Levi couldn't help her. The story's plot got rolling because Levi stepped in when she couldn't do anything for herself, and now Petra's found herself in a place where in order to succeed, it has to 100% be on her own merit because it's a totally different field than what Levi can delve into.
This to me is so powerful, because for the most part Petra's career in the Scouts since her big debut, has always been enabled by Levi in one way or another, so to completely leave his squad and do something all her own, proves her growth in a way that almost nothing else ever could. This was my goal for Petra, to take the metaphorical wings she and Levi had been working on building together, and then use them to actually fly on her own, exactly like she had always needed to.
But at the same time, total head nod, because Petra's badass and will always be our titan slaying queen.
Thanks guys – next update may not be next week (it may, not sure) but it certainly won't be five weeks again. Most of it's already written so it's a matter of edits and double checking for continuity. See you soon!
~Midnight