Summary: Oneshot AU. Rating T/M for mature language and violence.
When he first sees her, he cannot help but think of the word "sunlight".
When he sees her again, 9 years later, that word has not changed.
A dim lamp flickers on a deserted street in the middle of the night, threatening to shut off at any moment. There is a single car that travels down the street and stops at a dead end. The man in the car runs his fingers over the smooth barrel until they reached the back of the gun, wrapping each of them around the grip. It is all too familiar, all too fitted. This time seems like the same thing again. But he knows it would not be.
Tonight could be the night he died.
Levi shook his head. He made a promise that he intended to keep. He needed to make it back to his home. Giving an exasperated sigh, he shoves the gun into one of the pockets in his black coat. He adjusts his silver Rolex watch and gets out of the car.
The location is very deserted and devoid of buildings except for occasional torn-down ones. The alley he is supposed to meet in was just up ahead. Trash was littered here and there; the stench of alcohol and piss lingered in the air. This place is not like those in his previous missions. For one, Reiss never sent him to dead-end streets since escaping would be difficult. Not to mention, there were hardly any buildings in a mile or so for shelter. Open spaces were never safe.
Second, from the few times Reiss singlehandedly told him alone to deal with someone, he usually got an exact description and location of a person. This time though, the only message he got from the prick was "you'll know when you see him."
He knows Reiss is trying to get rid of him, but the asshole could have made it a little less obvious.
Reiss insisted on this mission, saying it was imperative for Paradis's survival. Levi did not believe that one bit when he first heard the pig: that man could not give two shits about the organization or its members. Erwin told him to take the job though. They initially had an intense staring match after Erwin said they could take advantage of this opportunity. Levi was about to vehemently refuse the order until something about Erwin's gaze when he stared down the shorter man made him sigh and concede.
He trusts Erwin. That man is always thinking three steps ahead of everyone and it usually pays off, but that did not mean Levi was completely comfortable with leaving Erwin by himself based on the events that would happen tonight. Levi also now has another reason to not take on this level of risk because he needs to go back home. He almost slams the door out of frustration before remembering that he needs to be cautious.
Making his way toward the alley, he pulls up both sleeves of his trench coat. One arm ready to take out the gun if necessary, the other so that he could check the time on his watch. He steels himself for anything that could come out. In the corner of his eye, he sees slight movement in the worn-down building in front of him. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Then he sees it again. The lean silhouette of a person with a gun.
Levi stops in his tracks, turns around and starts sprinting.
Levi first sees her when she exits the doors of their school.
He just transferred to this new town; Kenny always had to move them around due to his "job". This location was more remote and well-off than what he was used to in the city with Isabel and Furlan. The details of this job were fuzzy to Levi, but it was obviously important enough for Kenny to deal with. He always wondered why Kenny kept him around when they both knew he was not cut out to be someone's father. Maybe it was Kenny's guilt in leaving Levi's mother, his sister, to die at a young age when he could have done more for her. Levi knew that the two siblings were not close — Kenny even telling his mother to get rid of him while she was pregnant — but family is "family" at times, so he must have felt some kinship for her.
His first day at school is a bitch. It is one thing to transfer in your senior year. It is another to introduce yourself in every single class to ignorant brats when half of them look disinterested and half of them already look put-off by the new student's stoic expression when he simply says, "The name's Levi."
Isabel and Furlan always did tell him he needed to "look friendlier", whatever the hell that meant.
And do not get him started on the physical classroom itself. His desk looks like it had not been properly cleaned (in Levi terms) in ages, if the leftover eraser streaks of what looks like pencil marks are any indication of the half-assed job the previous owner did. And like every high school ingrate, the previous owner stuck gum on the underside of the desk.
To sum it up, he already hates the place by the end of homeroom.
But his perception changes briefly after he saw her. Just briefly. She is like a pixie, practically floating down the steps with the brightest smile on her face, probably from laughing at a joke that her friend told. Her short honey-auburn hair glows and he cannot think of a word other than "sunlight" to describe her. Levi pushes those thoughts away when he recognizes the black car that pulls up in front of him. Ah. So, Kenny had the sense to pick him up today. He must need something.
Sure enough, Kenny tells him in the car that he had a task for him because his "midget" size would prove useful. When they sit silently in the car, he wonders what the name is of the girl with the golden hair.
He later finds out that her name is Petra Ral. She is a freshman, but since she grew up in the small town her entire life, many of the upperclassmen know who she is. Petra has a fair share of admirers and the teachers love her. She is from a wealthy and loving family. She has a large group of friends and is always smiling or laughing with them. She is sweet and intelligent. Petra Ral is everything that he is not.
He kept his distance from people in school. These people were pretentious asses. They had no idea what lies in the real, ugly, filthy world. No clue about what people like Kenny and his "friends" did. No clue about what he probably would do once he finished high school. So, anyone who tried to be friendly and make conversation with him got silence and a blank stare on a good day. And then, anyone who tried to think they could mess with the new — and obviously less-privileged — kid got their ass beat. To put it lightly.
They first talk two months later. He is sporting a bruise on his face from a scuffle the previous night. Kenny brought him along for a deal that was an hour away from the town. The pricks they met with decided to play dirty, so he and Kenny had to fight get out. They ended up burning the place down to get rid of any evidence or trace that they had been there. He got weird looks all day and he was so tired of their blatant stares. He skipped his afternoon class and went to the dumpsters in the back of the school, smoking a cigarette.
That is when Petra appears. She is wearing a white dress with a denim jacket and he unconsciously thinks white suits her. He notices her eyes are fixed on his cheek; however, her eyes are inquisitive, not judging. She decides against asking about the blue-black spot on his cheek and brings her gaze to his.
"How are you?" she asks in a soft voice.
Levi does not answer. Just continues puffing out smoke rings while watching her, expecting her to turn away. Surprisingly, she holds his gaze, but he notices her amber eyes have a bit of uncertainty in them. As they continue to stare, she tilts her head to the side and the uncertainty vanishes and is replaced with more hints of stubbornness.
"Usually when someone asks you a question, the least you can do is give them an answer," Petra says, the corners of her lips slightly turning up.
The hell? Is she about to smile at him?
"Fine," Levi replies in a sharp tone, hoping his answer would intimidate her to leave.
Petra looks at him for a moment before she suddenly reaches out and strokes his face with the back of her hand. The only indication that he is startled is the slight widening of his eyes. He cannot remember the last time someone ever touched him like that. At least not after his mother's death. Her face breaks out into the sweetest smile. She turns on her heel and her boots click against the ground every step as she walks away. He stares after her, wondering what in the hell just happened. The girl is probably crazy. Levi snuffs out the cigarette and makes his way back into the school.
The brat seems to find him no matter where he would be in the school. He would be sitting in homeroom, bored out of his mind, when she would pop her head into the room and give him a little wave, all the while smiling at him like they were friends or some shit like that. It was unfortunate that his homeroom seat was close to the door.
She would pop up at lunch and sit with him. He had absolutely no clue why. It was also unfortunate that his lunch block corresponded with hers and her friends — Oruo, Gunther and Erd. Her friends were clearly intimidated by him at first when he told (snapped at) the brats to "shut the fuck up" one time when he had a splitting migraine from his class with Flagon earlier. God only knew why that man decided to become a high school teacher. Petra simply ignored him and continued talking about anything and her friends would nod and try to fill in the awkward gaps.
When the day would end, he would pack up his things and leave the building. She would somehow catch up to him as he was exiting the doors. Petra would keep up with his strides to the parking lot where she would chat along the way and he would give no responses. She would then hop into her mother's car and he would walk home.
Eventually, he would acknowledge her waves in the beginning of the school day with the slightest nod. Eventually, he would chime in with his usual charm (heavy sarcasm and cruel honesty) during lunch, while sipping on a cup of tea. Petra would laugh and continue the conversation. More often, she would sigh and good-naturedly berate him for saying "something dark" like that. Her friends would get used to his demeanor and start to relax around him. Oruo would even begin to imitate him, down to the detail of the unique way in which he holds his cups. It is a pity that Oruo's impersonations often would result in him biting his tongue by accident, therefore giving Levi a panic attack from the amount of blood and spit that would follow. His lunch times would become less painful and more of a dull throb. Eventually, when she would ask him about his day while walking to the parking lot, he would start to give limited responses.
Halfway through the year, he starts to begrudgingly look forward to school. He begins to enjoy Petra's chats while he silently listens. He starts to tolerate her friends — although Oruo's imitations sometimes makes the shorter man want to deck the taller freshman and he still gets anxious whenever that prick coughs up blood. Levi becomes comfortable. He is now used to this routine. He starts to think he is a regular, albeit anti-social, high school senior. He begins to forget who he is and his background. But then it all comes back to him whenever Levi goes home and sees Kenny with his guns and knives.
And then he cannot help but wish more and more for that normalcy whenever blood coats his hands as he slices through someone's neck.
He finishes school with little fanfare, but a lot of thoughts. He already knows what he plans to do after. The only thing that makes sense anyway. Isabel and Furlan have already made their preferences known about moving away and starting anew with their own group. Levi wants to go with them because if he is with people he cares about, they can get through things together. It will be them against this reeking world. And that will be enough for him, despite whatever may happen.
Some part of him will miss the town though. Levi does not want to admit it, but he will miss Petra and her friends. He can imagine himself looking back at the time with a hint of nostalgia. A time when he did not need to think about what lay in the world and could be isolated in a little corner here. A place where privileged high school brats only needed to worry about who was dating who, the latest celebrity news, getting into college and whatever shit they wanted for a career. He will miss that normalcy he sometimes craves for but cannot have.
When Petra congratulates him with flowers and her usual bright smile, he accepts the flowers and gives a non-committal shrug. She is used to his mannerisms by now and knows that is his way of saying "thank you". He turns on his heel to leave, and she walks by his side for a bit. She is wearing a white lace shirt with a pink skirt and if he thinks she looks pretty, he keeps that thought to himself.
As they stroll away from the school, she partially faces him to ask, "What do you plan on doing in the fall? I don't think I've ever heard you talk about college or what you even want to do."
Levi is not sure how to respond. His hand grips the bouquet a bit tighter and he shoves the other into the pockets of his pants, and just replies, "I'll leave this place and figure things out."
Not far from the truth. He is definitely leaving this town and going back to where Isabel and Furlan are. Figuring things out is a loose phrase for figuring out how to manage their own little organized crime ring.
Petra makes a thoughtful humming noise and looks to the sky. She clasps her hands behind her back and then asks him, "What do you think you'd want to do, if you didn't have to care about what the future holds?"
He pauses at that. That question is not something he has thought about before. From a young age, he had to care for himself. His mother died, leaving him with Kenny. Even then, Kenny's idea of care was teaching him how to grip a knife, how to "make friends" (i.e. beat up pricks who thought it would be easy to mess with him due to his small size), how to greet others (while their heads were under his boot), how to make a deal and how to swing a knife. Kenny might have given him shelter and food at a critical time, but Levi was on his own.
He came to realize that people like them had no future to care about. What they needed to care about was getting through the day. Making it to a "tomorrow". Each day was the same: survival. It was you against the world; you need to tread lightly, otherwise, your head ends up on the dirty-ass ground in some deserted alley. Existing honestly was a chore at times because caring for oneself translated to utmost endurance. Having companions had its weight at times too. He took that burden for Isabel and Furlan because he knew they would do the same for him, but the truth was it could potentially be their downfall one day. Who knows if they get into some shit one day and come out of it in body bags? The future was unpredictable. Tomorrow was just as unpredictable but at least he could take that step by step.
He never concerned himself with his future because he never saw one worth thinking about.
But something about Petra's question made it seem like she thought there was a future for him worth thinking about. That he could live past tomorrow.
So, if he had to think his future meant something?
"I'd like to own a teashop," Levi finally says in a quiet voice, a bit surprised by his own wish.
Petra's eyebrows raise in disbelief at his sentence. She maneuvers to stand in Levi's way and looks at his face, unsure if he is trying to make a joke. But then, her face breaks out into that sweet smile again and she throws back her head and laughs. It is a pleasant sound to his ears and he almost finds himself annoyed with her reaction.
Tch. He brushes past her, ready to go home, but then she falls into step beside him, links her arm through his and says, "I imagine a grumpy old man like you would scare off any potential customers. I think you'd need someone like me to help you manage that shop." Her eyes twinkle with mirth and she beams at him.
He is stunned to say the least. Petra seems to be pleased with his reaction though and continues prattling on about the hypothetical shop as they walk. The place would carry a variety of tea and there would be desserts or snacks on the menu also. Oruo, Gunther and Erd would learn to be tea baristas and waiters, ready to serve customers their tea and cakes. She would be at the front counter, interacting with customers, giving them recommendations on the best teas and which desserts complement each tea and making them feel at home.
The place would be a respite for anyone during their day to just sit down and enjoy a moment of tranquility with a little snack and drink. The shop would be cozy and comfortable, and the customer would leave reality behind as they sipped on a cup of tea. It could be a quiet place or a haven for anyone who needed it. The location would be the customer's own little corner, tucked away from the rest of the world.
He is content to listen to her and he can feel the corners of his lips turning up.
Until she says, "And then, of course… you, Levi, will be… maintenance."
He stops in his tracks and glares at her for that comment. She laughs again and tugs him along. He does not resist the motion and allows his steps to fall in line with her again.
Yeah. The tea shop seemed like an OK idea.
Reality hits him when he goes back home and Kenny tells him his job is done. The organization wants him back soon.
He wants to tell her goodbye. He really does. But while he is deliberating on the details of how, his entire focus eventually shifts to his hands that are clasped on the table in front of him.
Are they really hands that can give her that normal and pure dream of a tea shop?
They leave within the week and he does not see her once during the time.
During the drive, every time he feels the tinge of regret coming in, Levi looks down at his hands and then thinks it's probably better this way.
Blood rushes to his ears. He has been running for some time now, trying to find some sort of well-built infrastructure for shelter and hiding. His heart is pounding against his chest and the sound of his feet running across pavement was a dead giveaway to his location. Shit. He can hear their footsteps catching up to him. He has to think quick.
He sees an alley up ahead. This is about to be a risky idea, but he needs to make it back to her no matter what. Although he knows the alley could very possibly be another dead end, there is a slight chance there would be an opening or something to hide behind. Banking on that small chance, Levi sprints into the alley and sighs in relief when he saw a dumpster at the end. Ignoring the foul scent, he immediately ducks behind it and waits. He hears the rushing sound of footsteps not far from him and then slowing down at the outside of the alley. The sounds grow closer and closer.
Now. He extends his arm and shoots.
Bang. Bang.
The first bullet hits one of two figures in the head. He is dead before he even hits the ground. The second gets the other's midriff. He drops to the ground in agony, his hand immediately nursing the wound. Levi immediately gets out from behind the dumpster to finish the job. He can see it unravel in slow motion. The prick, with a grimace on his face, is about to raise his arm to shoot. With unthinkable reflexes for the regular human, Levi takes his knife from his jacket and aims it with incredible and frightening accuracy at the other man's head.
Thump. The body falls flat on the ground. Levi walks over to the guy, turns him over and wedges the knife out from his head. Tch. Disgusting.
He wipes and cleans the knife on the man's jacket. Next, he drags both of their dead bodies behind the dumpster. His clothes are drenched in blood from the two men, including his originally crisp white shirt. Absolutely filthy. After peaking out from the alley both ways to make sure the coast was clear and no unexpected surprises, he walks out and then ducks into another alley about half a block down. He takes off his outer shirt and tosses it into a shattered window of one of the buildings.
The car is waiting for him. But when he gets closer and upon further inspection, he notices the tires have slash marks on them.
Fuck. He gives the doors a violent kick. It is not like he was anticipating this night to go easily, but still. He lets out a growl of annoyance and closes his eyes. Levi attempts to mentally calculate how much time he would have until Reiss got wind that Levi was still alive and until Erwin would send backup. His head starts to hurt. Absolute shitty time for one of his infamous migraines to kick in. Checking his silver Rolex, he groans, knowing he had no choice but to go to Paradis's hideout by foot and slice Reiss's head off himself before he could go home to her.
It is about nine years before he sees her again.
A lot has changed. Isabel and Furlan are gone. A job went wrong when some gang tried to recruit them to kill a member in Paradis — Erwin Smith. Paradis was under the management of Reiss, but Erwin was rapidly rising through the ranks and proving to be a formidable asset to the organization. The three of them infiltrated Paradis under the guise of wanting to join a bigger group. One day, they went along with Erwin and a group to make a deal with another ring called Titan. But Titan took the opportunity to attack in the confined warehouse they were all in. After Isabel and Furlan were killed in the crossfire, Levi went ballistic and his unadulterated rage pushed him to slaughter most of the Titans there.
While he stood there in the aftermath — covered in blood, smoke, and dirt — Erwin called him "pitiful". Levi would have killed him right then and there if Erwin did not drop the bombshell that he already knew what the three of them were sent to do. While they went off to negotiate with the Titans, another group snuck to the gang's hideout and took them out.
As Levi stood there in shock and felt his knees about to give out, Erwin told him to stop and to not question the decisions the three made. If he regretted the past, then Levi would unravel; others would make decisions for him and then he would just die. No one could have known the outcomes of the choices they made, but each decision Levi makes can affect the meaning of the next one. Erwin then told him to continue serving Paradis; otherwise, Isabel and Furlan's deaths would have been for nothing.
So, Levi follows Erwin for the next five years. He becomes ok with it. Erwin can be an ass sometimes, but Levi realizes Erwin is seeing something he cannot see. He does not know what motivates that man to think there is something in the future worth striving to live for, but Levi wants to know, so he remains serving at his side.
Eventually, he gets used to Four-Eyes — excuse him, Hange — and their eccentric-as-hell personality. Levi can tolerate Mike's weird habit of sniffing things, but he never tolerates Dok being up his ass about doing things properly and according to "regulation", whatever the hell that means. They are part of an organized crime ring: nothing should be by "regulation." Paradis labels him as its strongest member and the recruits look up to him. Levi soon becomes the head of his own small squad, which gets jobs done efficiently and quietly. The higher ups get annoyed with him whenever he speaks to them in his usual blunt manner, and he responds by flipping them off.
Yeah, everything is alright.
Eventually, Levi feels he has moved on from Isabel and Furlan's deaths. He feels he now can look back on his memories with them without feeling any twinge of regret. He can now look to the light blue sky and not think about how much Isabel wanted to be a bird and fly through the breezy air. When he looks at the stars twinkling in the night sky, he begins to not hear the echoes of Furlan's laughter. As the years go by, Levi thinks he has moved on from the days where he wished for something lighter, like the warm, fuzzy feeling he could get at a tea shop. Like that feeling when he was with Petra.
But then he sees her one day.
Levi is in a much nicer part of the city on a job. He looks like a respectable businessman walking through the streets, with his black jacket and matching slacks and a white collared shirt. He has a black fedora that obscures half his face and stops at a pedestrian crossing, checking his silver Rolex for the time. Casually shifting his weight to his right side, he glances to the shop at his side and sees a familiar flash of honey-auburn hair through the glass. He freezes and stares.
Petra is interacting with a customer behind a counter. Even through the glass, he can see her smile as she points to things on the menu. The customer says something, and she laughs tilting her head back a bit, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She is wearing a golden-yellow long-sleeved dress that is sinched at the waist with flats and he thinks she looks lovely. They continue having some sort of animated discussion and she puts her arms up on the counter, resting her chin in her hands. Levi remains standing there on the sidewalk, just taking her in.
His first word when he saw her all those years ago was "sunlight" and that has not changed.
The customer moves away from the counter, leaving Petra to a full view of him in front of the glass. He gathers his thoughts and immediately resumes walking down the street. Shit, she better not have seen me. He hurries down the street and maneuvers through the crowd, trying to put as much distance as possible between the two of them.
"Levi!"
He still rushes forward. Pretends to not hear. Levi abruptly turns around a corner. He dips behind a crowd of people and ducks into the first shop he sees, which happens to be a bakery. Moving away from the front of the shop and proceeding to the back corner, Levi ignores the customer representative trying to greet him and give him a sample of something. He sits down at a table, puts a menu in front of his face and pretends to look at the options. Peeking out slightly from behind, he can see Petra through the glass window. She is spinning around in circles on the street and craning her head to catch any sight of him. Her expression is curious and excited initially, but eventually morphs into one of frustration and sadness. Her fists ball up and clench at her side. She looks down at the street for a moment and then her body sort of sags.
No regrets.
He sees her walk away from the bakery dejectedly.
No regrets. He gets up from the table and slowly makes his way over to the door. The customer representative is trying to say goodbye to him, but one of Levi's stares prevents her from finishing the sentence and she falters. Exiting the shop and turning his head, he sees her go around the corner. He follows her and makes sure to keep a gap. Levi watches her shoulders sort of slump as she strolls back to her shop. He waits on the other side of the street while she passes through the doors. Others carry on with the city bustle around him and probably give him dirty looks for blocking pedestrian traffic, but he just lingers there. He can see the name on the side of the shop: "RealiTea". His feet hesitate to move forward.
No regrets.
From this distance, he can make out her figure go behind the counter, put her arms on the counter and bend slightly over to rest her forehead onto the palms of her hands. Petra perks up when a customer comes in, and he knows she is plastering a fake smile as she makes conversation with the girl.
No regrets.
She deserves someone who can give her something better. Someone whose hands are not stained with blood and filth. Someone she can have a future with. Somebody whose future is worth caring about.
He starts to leave.
Yeah. You may not have a future; you may not even have a tomorrow. So, will you regret it?
The day was certainly busy. Despite the events from earlier today, she managed to put it behind her temporarily to do her job. She is grateful that the rest left after closing, so she can have some space to herself.
I know I saw him. Why did he run away?
The bell rings at the front door. Petra's back is to it while she puts the chairs up on the table. She quickly rearranges herself and tries to give off a cheery air as she turns to say "I'm sorry but we're—"
She stops mid-sentence. In front of her is Levi. He looks sharp and immaculate in his suit; his dark hair is parted in the center with the same undercut from high school and he has one hand in his pocket. His youthful features still have that hardness to them and there are still those dark circles under his eyes. Levi is still as breathtaking as the first time she saw him on the steps of school all those years ago. He does not say a word but shifts his dark-silver eyes around the shop, calmly taking everything in. His gaze eventually settles on her and he asks softly, "do you need maintenance to help clean the place?"
Her mouth falls open and tears come to her eyes. She runs past the tables to where he is, punches his shoulder and then throws herself at him with a light thud. His body is solid and real as her arms wrap around his neck. Levi's scent overtakes her senses, and he smells like smoke and warm laundry. Petra's right hand slides down his arm and firmly squeezes the hand not in his pocket. He came back. She buries her head in his neck and lets the tears fall.
Levi visits the shop from time to time. Not often enough for people to wonder where he goes off to and often enough to keep her delighted and pleased. He does not want Paradis knowing about her and it is best for her if he maintains some distance. Just in case.
He learned that she went to college for business. She came to this specific city because she said she had a feeling there would be something good for her here. Petra carried on the dream of the tea shop because she fell in love with that future on the day when he finished school. No matter what, even if her parents and friends thought she was wasting her time and ambitions, she would see to it that vision would come through.
The shop is doing relatively well for its second year in existence. It is about a 10-minute walk from a city college, so there are always brats coming in for a tea fix or studying at one of the booths. Petra has three part-time workers who rotate between making the tea and desserts, helping with inventory and serving customers. She manages the place and interacts with the customers, making them feel at home and comfortable.
Every time Levi arrives, he has a single flower in his hand. Her eyes light up whenever she sees him at the door and she rushes out to greet him, taking the flower from him. A pink tinge would appear on her face while she admires the gift for a second or two. Petra then would look into his eyes and gives a radiant smile for him. She would grab his hand and lead him to the back to help with inventory or making the tea. He snorts a bit at the idea that she does not let him interact with customers for a long period of time. She does, however, let him clean after the customers when they leave to get the space ready for another person.
He becomes relaxed whenever he visits the shop. He enjoys the aromas of tea and sugar that fill his senses as he steps through the doors. The part-time workers start to become familiar with his presence after getting over his silent and gruff demeanor. The students are always brats, but there are some decent ones that try not to make too much of a ruckus or mess whenever he is around. On the occasion he stays long enough for closing, he always makes sure to scrub and clean every corner because god knows all the dirty germs college pricks bring with them wherever they go. Tch.
While he cleans, Petra makes him a cup of tea in the back. Once he finishes, Levi sits down at the counter with her and sips on the tea as she chatters on about something. He speaks up from time to time, but mainly just enjoys being in her presence. Something he notices is that Petra never asks him about what he does. She will ask him about his preferences, his memories, his dreams, his hopes, but never about his "job" or "work". He suspects she knows or has a feeling that he is a dangerous man.
Despite that, she still smiles and laughs at him; Petra has no problem reaching across the counter to grasp his hands and rub her thumb over his knuckles. She also has no hesitations about leaning her head onto his shoulder while they sit silently, looping her arm through his and playing with his silver watch. He lets her rest her body against his and enjoys the comfort of their bodies lounging together. In these kinds of moments, he forgets about the blood on his hands and feels no greater contentment.
Petra lives above the shop in an apartment, so he ends the time by walking her to the door and wishing her a good night. What they have is unspoken and he does not want to jinx anything. So, whenever she hesitates and seems like she is about to ask him if he wants to come in, he leaves.
One day past closing, as he sips on tea while she makes conversation from the back room about inventory, Levi realizes that her dream of making the shop a haven came true, because RealiTea is his safe place. He is a bit stunned at that realization yet leaves the shop feeling lighter and freer.
And then it all goes to shit when Marley launches a surprise attack on them; they take out Mike, Nanaba, his squad and so many of their people in that fight. But Reiss is indifferent. He does not think of retaliation when so many of Levi's comrades have fallen. He just sits in headquarters on his fat ass while members of the organization die. Paradis has been corrupted for a while now; Levi suspected the higher-ups have not been abiding by the codes of the organization. This attack has only cemented his suspicions: Reiss and his followers have their own agenda, and he would be damned if those bastards bring them all down because of it.
He sits in his apartment the week after the incident and buries his head in his hands. The fatigue of the events has caught up to him now that he has some time to himself. He mourns the loss of Mike, who was weird as hell, but they still fought and looked out for one another. He grieves the loss of the squad he oversaw because he was supposed to look out for them, but they did not make it. There are so many others who died, and they were all too young to die in such a gruesome way. Isabel and Furlan pop up in his thoughts and then suddenly, Levi cannot help but wonder why he is the one who gets to live while many of the people he knew have passed on.
At this moment, Levi desires the cycle of watching people die to just end. He wants to leave. He wants to go back to that tea shop and stay in that bubble forever. He wants to clean after college brats and drink the tea Petra makes him, serenity and peace filling him from her presence alone. Levi realizes then how much he yearns to give her flowers every day so that she would smile and laugh. He wants to be with Petra until they grow old together. For once, he can imagine sleeping soundly and waking up in a cozy bed with the sunlight trickling through the blinds with her by his side. He craves a future with her, because that longing is the only thing would give his own future meaning.
He wishes for this dream to come true. He desires to be enough for her. For her future.
And then Levi imagines his hands covered in red and wonders how she would react when she finds out that the hands she touched and held so tenderly are filthy and ridden with germs.
The reality is that she has a future. She has a tomorrow. He may not.
Erwin soon plans for a change in leadership. Levi follows him, knowing that there could very well be no tomorrow.
Levi grimaces at the pain shooting in his head and his body. Shit. He just ran out of bullets. He quickly ducks behind the side of a car as the second round of bullets fire at him. This is already the third group of pricks who have been sent to deal with him. Of course, Reiss would not expect Levi to be brought down so easily. Tch. He bares his teeth and can hear the bastards closing in. The car vibrates due to the force of the bullet punctures, but he still presses himself against it.
He can hear the footsteps to his right getting louder and louder. He is extremely thankful for his size right now and shrinks against the car. The bullets stop for a moment and he edges more to the front tires. Levi brings out his knife in his right hand. Almost. He could see the prick's shoes moving closer to his position by the tires. He sees the gun in the upper part of his peripheral vision and when he saw half of the prick's body turn the corner of the car from his position below, Levi struck. With a fierce growl and lightning speed, he first maims the legs with his knife. In the man's shock, his right hand's grip on the gun loosens. Levi then goes for the wrist and stabs cleanly through the bone. The thug lets out a scream of pain before his throat gets slashed.
The man's other friends recover their senses and begin firing repeatedly. Levi holds the meaty body in front of him to shield himself from the bullets and quickly runs backwards down the street. They should run out soon. He ducks behind another car and drops the bullet-filled corpse to the side; Levi looks inside its jacket, hoping for extra ammunition or a gun. His fingers close around smooth cylindrical shapes. Perfect. He gathers the shells and loads them into his gun in record time. They are closing in again, but he waits for their guns to run out of bullets.
3, 2, 1.
The second he hears one person swear, he shoots up from behind the car and aims his gun at each of their heads.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Four bodies land on the ground unceremoniously and he cautiously emerges from his spot. He searches the bodies for more ammunition and cleans his knife on one of their shirts. The adrenaline rushes through him as he sprints through the hazily lit streets again. He is about a little over halfway to headquarters. He bears the pain his muscles are going through as he navigates between the alleys, eager to take a shortcut. Levi sees a light coming through at the end of the alley he is running towards and presses himself to the wall just in time to hear a car roll up. The car stops and he hears the doors slam.
He represses the urge to snarl from frustration and instead tries to count the number of footsteps he hears. Two or three people? Odd. He anticipated more, given what he just went through. He only has two bullets left but loads the extra ammunition he found previously with practiced movements and speed. There is a faint lamp up ahead so he can see the vague shadow of the person approaching the corner of the alley. He scoots more to the end of the wall and readies his gun at his side.
The shadow gets closer. Closer. Now.
He lands a kick to the person's midsection and when the man doubles over in pain, he pops out from behind the wall. His arm extends and is about to pull the trigger, until he gets a closer look at the person in front of him.
"Jean?" Levi asks incredulously.
He gets a cough in response. Whoops. Levi looks behind him and sees Connie and Sasha with their guns trained on him, but then they lower when the two realize the assailant is Levi. Sasha very noticeably relaxes, and the brat's southern drawl mingles with her sentences as she starts yapping away, "Mis – Mistah Levi! Thank goodness we found'ya, we were gettin' real worried 'cuz we went to where Mistah Reiss sent'cha, but we didn't see nuthin', and then we checked every corna' of that place and we ain't got any idea where ya coulda been and we —"
"Oi, stop talking," Levi snaps, rubbing fingers to the bridge of his nose between his brows. God.
"Erwin send you guys?" At least backup was still backup, no matter how much these brats gave him headaches.
"Yes sir, he told us to go to your location, find you and bring you back. Erwin and the others are making their move on Reiss currently. As expected, Erwin's information made him divide a core part of his reinforcements between fighting you and holding onto headquarters. But then Reiss ended up focusing his team on taking Historia hostage and succeeded. Eren, the suicidal idiot, tried to save Historia but got captured as well," Jean says after recovering from that kick, standing up and rubbing his upper abdomen.
"Tch. That fucker's getting desperate. Let's go," Levi orders them as he settles in the front row seat of the car while the rest of them are still scrambling in.
Erwin, Hange and Levi find out Marley had leverage over Reiss. Something about a blood debt that Reiss's family owed them. Since Marley was on the rise for the past several years, they decided to enact that blood debt on Reiss for the obliteration of Paradis. In exchange for his cooperation, Reiss negotiated immunity for him and his corrupt dogs. When the secrets of this deal come to light, Levi imagines slicing Reiss's neck off himself when the time comes. Filthy bastard.
The plan to remove Reiss and his pigs takes about four months to outline to the exact detail. They expect damage control of the aftermath to take up to three months, if not more. Levi pours himself into the elements of the scheme with Erwin and Hange in those four months; during the time, he does not visit Petra's shop once.
Erwin is successfully able to bring some of the uncorrupted higher ups like Pixis to his side. Zackley is also helping behind the scenes, but Levi knows Zackley has his own reason for helping Erwin. But as long as Zackley knows his place and does not interfere with Erwin's plan, Levi will leave him be. Dok eventually joins their side because he believes it will be for the good of Paradis, but Levi still hates that prick. The new recruits that survived the prior bloodbath have potential, though some of them are too jittery. Like Armin. Some are too enthusiastic, like that brat Eren Jaeger. Why his cousin has a crush on that dumbass is beyond his understanding.
Erwin intends for Historia, Reiss's daughter, to take over Paradis so the succession abides by tradition and minimizes future turmoil, but Levi honestly has concerns about her. While Levi thoroughly disliked Kenny as he grew older, he cannot imagine being completely unaffected if he killed a blood relation who took care of him — no matter how little the care was. Levi knows Historia was neglected as a child and had only received love from her older half-sister Freida, who died from an enemy attack, and no one else in the Reiss family. Strictly speaking, she should not have any attachment to Reiss. Yet, he cannot help but wonder if she is truly ready for the idea based on how uncertain she looks in briefings.
A week before the final day approaches, Levi is called to a meeting with Reiss and gets handed a "mission" to be completed the night of the assault. Erwin takes this in stride and still uses it for his plan. Apparently, there is a mole in their upheaval, which is why Reiss is attempting to separate Levi from the group. Erwin effectively takes the opportunity to find the mole and feeds him false intelligence to be reported back to Reiss. Erwin believes Reiss will try to get his daughter back — no matter how much of a shitty father he has been — to force them to concede, so the information will first force Reiss's men to split in either pursuing Levi or Historia. Historia will be the bait to draw Reiss into a vulnerable position and then the group can take action to remove him. It is a risky move and there is a lot that could go wrong if Historia gets caught, but if the strategy works then they can move forward with a new Paradis.
When they tell Historia about this development, she does not give an immediate response; instead, the young girl looks down at the hands folded in her lap and cautiously confesses, "I'm not sure if I'm fit for this to begin with."
Levi reaches his breaking point with the girl: he grabs her by the collar of her shirt, shakes her and yells in her face to firmly stick to a side because they do not have time for her bullshit. She ends up agreeing, so he helps her back up as a form of apology, but Erwin voices his disapproval at him later. A memory of Petra yelling at him for decking a customer pops up for a second, but Levi immediately pushes that thought out of his mind. Although Historia is still skittish around him, she does seem to gain more resolve as the final day approaches, so he lets his reservations about the girl go.
They are in good shape. Well, as good as can be. There is no guarantee any of them will come out alive. But they are ready. Soon, it approaches the night before hell will burst. He is smoking with Erwin outside Erwin's apartment. Neither one of them talk and they just stare at the sunset. Might be their last time seeing the sky like this together. If he thinks about how the glow from the horizon resembles someone's hair, he pushes those thoughts to the way back corner of his mind.
Erwin breaks the silence by asking, "Why are you here with me right now, when you could be with someone else?"
"Huh? Like Four-eyes? Fuck no," Levi responds, inhaling and exhaling the smoke, watching it float away in the wind.
"Mmm, not like Hange. Like Petra," Erwin replies continuing to watch the muted orange-red glow.
Levi's hand bringing the cigarette to his lips freezes mid-air. He turns to look at Erwin and asks, "You knew?"
Erwin's lips turn up slightly. Of course, the smartass knew. Tch. Levi lets the cigarette fall to the floor and snuffs it out with his shoe. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he says, "She's better off without me."
The blonde man hums a bit. "Perhaps. She certainly would have a normal future if she wasn't with you. But you obviously don't have closure with that thought."
Levi scoffs and asks, "Who says I don't have closure?"
"Despite what you may think, there has been a shift in your mood in the last four months. You seem resigned to a fate that may not be set in place," says Erwin in a calm voice as he sits down in a chair, crossing his long legs.
"You know the odds of us making it out alive of this are hella low," Levi snaps back.
"Yes. But the issue is that you are translating those lows odds into a meaningless existence — with or without her in the picture. Do you regret having feelings for her?"
"No," Levi almost growls.
"Will you regret not giving her — and yourself — closure about those feelings?"
Levi pauses at that. He looks to the horizon and says, "She probably already knows how I feel about her. No use in saying it and giving her something to cry over if this all goes to shit."
"You pushed her away for the last four months with no word. She seems like a smart person; she probably has an idea of what you do right? For all she knows, you could have been dead for the past four months. She could be suffering and panicking with no way of knowing what the truth is. Are you certain that she isn't currently grieving with no resolution about what you two had?"
Levi stays silent.
The taller blonde man sighs and stands up. "You're right. We may not live beyond tomorrow night. Before it's too late and before you potentially disappear, don't hesitate. Don't have regrets." Erwin goes back inside to his apartment, leaving the shorter dark-haired man outside to mull over his thoughts.
Petra is cleaning the tables. She wipes the rags half-heartedly over the surface, trying to not think about how dedicated and obsessive Levi was in scrubbing everything down. She can feel his presence everywhere in the shop, even though it has been about four months since she last saw him. Petra initially thought he would drop by in his sporadic manner, but as time went on, she grew more and more anxious and wondered frequently if he was well or even alive.
She is not oblivious. She had her suspicions when she first saw him behind that dumpster in high school. Those feelings grew when she first saw him again in the tea shop years after he left her without a word so many years ago. She sees it in the way he carries himself and the way he speaks to others. She also notices it in how he will never initiate physical contact with her, as if afraid he will dirty her.
But Levi's work does not matter to her: it does not define how he always tries to make her happy, even going out of his comfort zone at times. Whenever he turns his gaze toward her, she can see the slight softening of his hardened dark-silver eyes and the lines relax around his mouth. Every time Petra rests her head on his shoulder, Levi's body slackens against hers and those instances make her feel so comfortable and safe while she rests from the long day by his side. His demeanor is grumpy and short-tempered; yet Levi recognizes his boundaries, and if he does indeed cross the line, he will seek to make it up through small actions.
One time Levi flipped a too-pushy customer to the ground in front of everyone in the shop, pressed his foot down on the college boy's neck until he was gasping for air and told him to apologize in a tone akin to telling someone the time; Petra yelled at him after because there are certain things you cannot do in situations, but she ultimately knew that his reaction was his way of protecting her. For the first time, he made a cup of tea for her that night after closing instead of vice versa.
Petra knows that what he does is dangerous, and he is by no means a perfect man; but Levi is no danger to her.
The bell by the door rings, so she turns around to politely tell the customer the shop is closed but pauses. Levi is by the door, looking a bit disgruntled and uneasy in his black suit. Relief washes through her. He is alive. They stare at one another for a moment. But then the relief is replaced with anger: he looks perfectly healthy. She balls up the rag in her hand and with all her might, hurls it at him. Levi easily catches it but is impressed with her aim and force.
"I deserved that," Levi admits shaking the water off his hand and tossing the rag onto another table.
Petra's expression stays dark; she even thinks about chucking at him the teacups on the table she is cleaning but decides against it. She crosses her arms and says in a tight voice, "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? I thought you were trapped somewhere, with no way to call for help and no way to let others know where you were. I thought something went wrong and you were heavily injured or worse — I thought you died. Do you know the amount of panic and stress I went through when I thought I wouldn't be able to see you again?"
Levi's expression sullies at that statement and directs his gaze to anywhere but her face. He feels a bit jittery and shifts his weight from foot to foot. He finally replies in a faint voice, "I thought it'd be better for you if I left."
Petra softens slightly at that confession. She sighs, lets her arms fall to her side and says, "Levi. I've always known — or at least suspected — what you do. I knew since the day I met you behind the school when you had that terrible bruise on your face. But I wouldn't have been with you for this long if I didn't know, because it never mattered to me."
He is silent at her words and then opens the right side of this jacket, showing her the knife that is hidden inside and the gun in his holster straps. With a low voice, he asks "Are you really sure it doesn't matter?"
Petra smiles a bit at that; she walks over to him and cups his face. Her hands are warm and soft and pure. He tries to recoil and divert his eyes away from hers. How can she touch him like that? Petra seems to know where his thoughts are going because she holds him in place gently, yet firmly.
Looking into his eyes, Petra quietly says, "You may be dangerous; you're not perfect and you have flaws… but if you were so dangerous, then why do I feel do safe and secure whenever I'm with you?" She steps forward, brushes her lips against his cheeks and murmurs against the skin tenderly, "You don't dirty me or scare me; you make me happy and complete."
Levi's eyes close at that and his face scrunches up as if he is in pain. He leans his forehead to hers until their noses brush one another's and they stay in that position for what feels like ages. She closes her eyes too and lightly strokes her thumbs against his sharp cheekbones. His skin feels flushed and heated underneath her hands. Their breathing falls in sync with one another and they can hear the beating of one another's heart. Her voice trembles slightly as she almost whispers, "Don't push me further and further away. We're here right now. Let's not leave it like this."
His eyebrows are still furrowed together, and he makes the decision. Levi brings his hands up and encloses them around hers, tracing their smooth shape lightly and then brings them to hold her face. He opens his eyes to take in the details of right now: Petra's brows are slightly creased together, her eyelashes flutter against her skin and there are splashes of little freckles here and there on her cheeks; her cheeks have a tinge of red and she looks so angelic and lovely.
Levi opens his mouth and tries to get the words out. His breath comes out shakily and this is probably one of the most terrifying moments of his life. What if he does die tomorrow? Will she move on or fall into grief? Can he bear to give her that pain? Even if he does live, what if she'll regret this? What if he's making a mistake? How can she feel this way about him? What if —
"Tell me. It's just us, right now." Petra opens her amber-brown eyes and peers into his dark silver-grey ones. "It's now."
Now. Not tomorrow. It finally clicks for Levi. A burden is lifted off his shoulders and it feels like all the blood went to his head, leaving him with a weightless feeling. His worries vanish at those words and he feels like breaking down. He empties his mind of all those thoughts of tomorrow; Levi just focuses on the happiness, euphoria and peace that are filling his senses. He takes in her eyes and sees the promises of sunrises, warmth, security and comfort. He concentrates on the emotions reflected in Petra's entire expression. He focuses on now.
"I love you."
That night, he does not leave RealiTea. The next day, he promises to her he will come back.
How in the hell do I always get stuck babysitting these brats?
Another round of bullets fires, and Levi ducks behind the pillar. Shit. Eren and Historia are supposed to be beyond the door and these pricks are blocking the way. Levi looks to Armin and nods. Armin takes from his belt another smoke grenade, clicks it to set off the timer and rolls it down the hallway. A few seconds later, a whoosh sound erupts, and the corridor becomes filled with a black cloud of smoke. Levi takes the initiative and with knives in each hand, creeps through the fog.
Relying on his senses, he could feel himself approaching a body and with expert moves, slashes through the man's jugular before he even had a chance to react. The only indication of his success is a light gurgle and a thump. Mikasa trails behind him and imitates his movements. Jean and Connie take the other side; when the smoke clears away for the rest of Reiss's men to see their group get their throats sliced through, the four of them take cover as Armin and Sasha fire bullets from behind the columns.
Soon enough, all of Reiss's men are sprawled on the floor, either with bullets in their bodies or red streaks across their necks. Blood is splattered everywhere, and this would be a bitch to clean up when the night was over. Tch.
They gather in front of the doors: Levi on the right with Mikasa, Jean and Connie. Armin is on the left with Sasha. Levi puts his ear to the wood, trying to listen for any indication of a surprise assault. Nothing. He knows this room in the warehouse is an open space, so there would be no possibility of shooters from up top. If they were planning an attack, then it would all be on the ground floor. He grips his knives in his unique way: one tilted up and the other tilted down and glances at Mikasa. She looks back at him anxiously and impatiently, questioning why he has not ordered them to move in yet. Girl needs to get her emotions under control when it comes to the Jaeger dumbass.
"Keep the formation," Levi orders them — mostly directed towards Mikasa. The others nod, while Mikasa gives a soft grunt. Good enough.
Levi kicks open the doors and is about to leap back to let Armin roll another smoke grenade into the room, but when he catches a glimpse of what is inside, his instincts tell him to abruptly hold up a hand to stop Armin. The rest of them all freeze, wondering what is going on.
He slowly steps into the room while the others follow cautiously behind. The younger recruits peek inside and sees Reiss standing over Eren. The brat is strapped in the center, his mouth duct taped as chains bind him from all corners of the room. Reiss is pointing a gun to his temple. Historia is to Reiss's side and she turns her pale face when she sees the newcomers, wringing her hands.
Mikasa gasps and Levi shoots her a warning look before he directs his gaze back to Reiss, who is smiling serenely like he is having a cup of espresso in a cafe. Levi has no desire to talk and is already calculating the time it would take for him to move to cut the smug bastard's head off, or even just aim his knife and sink it into Reiss's sweaty forehead before that man had time to pull the trigger.
Said bastard seemed to know where Levi's thoughts are going and keeps one hand on the gun, while extending the other out to Historia, saying "Historia is my legacy." None too gently, he grabs Historia's wrist and tugs her to his front like a shield. Fuck. The girl looks like she is about to pass out.
The prick places his hand on her shoulder and brushes the hair back from her face — something that would seem like an affectionate gesture, but Levi sees it as manipulative. Reiss leans close to her ear, but keeps his body guarded enough that the group cannot take action without potentially hurting Historia, and croons in what is supposed to be a fatherly voice, "Historia, I know you're afraid. You're hesitant about all this bloodshed because you're a good person. Frieda was so much like you: she never wanted any blood to stain our family, but still died trying to protect me that day. I have so many regrets about not being able to save her, but I have a second chance with you. Let me make up for all the things you've suffered."
Eren makes a little muffled sound at that statement and Levi is seriously considering how precisely he could angle his throw so that his knife could just barely fly past Historia and sink into that shitbag's head.
Reiss pays no attention to the boy beneath his gun and continues, "My duty is to protect our family; for Frieda and your friends, please honor Marley's request by my side. This is the best way for us to bring peace between these two organizations. Since your friends care about you, they'd understand that your decision could save them." At this, he motions to the group and says, "They'd listen, won't they?"
Historia is trembling right now, and tears are threatening to fall from her face. Shit. Levi knows the fucker is toying with her desire for familial recognition and he just flipped the table onto her friends. Even without looking at the group behind him, he sees their horrified expressions and knows they would not be able to stop Historia if she truly decides to follow her pathetic excuse of a father. Reiss is betting that none of them would be able to fight — or even risk injuring — Historia; Levi knows for certain the others could not bring themselves to, and he himself does not want to harm a girl he trained and fought with. He can already tell Armin is gathering his thoughts to talk things out with Historia, but if she is indeed set, then there is no point.
The other option is killing Reiss where he stands if there is an opening; however, they need Historia to take over Paradis. Levi knows that if Reiss were to die and Historia wanted to save him, the action could set up potential division between her and the others in Paradis. The aftermath of the takeover would be destabilized even more. Which meant a bigger shit show and more opportunity for other gangs to attack during a vulnerable transition, as well as inner turmoil that could rip Paradis apart from the inside.
Reiss's reinforcements could come soon; they do not have time to waste. He made a promise to his future and he will not let that slip through. If he needs to, Levi will be the bad guy as long as it means he can go back home to Petra.
Mikasa's face is in the corner of his eye and Levi knows that she has come to the same conclusions as him. He knows that she would never let anything happen to Eren, so a silent understanding comes between the two cousins: they would kill Reiss and —if she got in the way and if they absolutely had to — Historia.
Erwin did you plan for this?
As Levi is calculating the best way to tackle Reiss while first sparing Historia, he sees something harden in Historia's baby-blue eyes. Taking advantage of her size, she jams her elbow back into his solar plexus and then turns to land an upper jab cut to his left jaw. Reiss's eyes bulge in shock as he hunches over and struggles to breath. His grip on the gun loosens in response and Historia kicks the gun out of his hand. She then takes him by the collar of his shirt, and with amazing strength and force, spins and throws him over her shoulder so he lands heavily on the ground on his back. Reiss's eyes roll into the back of his head and then close.
Well shit. He tries to not be too surprised at what just happened and is more relieved that she still stuck to their side. Mikasa rushes forward and checks for injuries on Historia, before immediately working to free Eren from his chains. The brat has tears streaming down his face when Mikasa reaches him and rips the duct tape off his mouth. The others snap out of their shock and hustle to help dismantle his bindings from all the corners. Levi knows they are running low on time, so he goes back outside the door and checks to see if anyone else is coming. Nothing so far, but they need to move.
Sasha lets out a high-pitched scream and Levi whips his head around. Reiss has recovered from the ground and is now sprinting like a madman towards Sasha and Historia with a knife he must have hidden in his jacket. Shit. Sasha is completely frozen, possibly due to how animal-like Reiss is running toward them. Levi moves quickly to disarm and stab Reiss through his non-existent heart, but Historia beats him to it. She grabs Sasha's gun, aims it at her father and then pulls the trigger.
Bang.
Reiss's body falls to the ground. Blood pools out from underneath him and his eyes are wide open, still lingering with traces of the crazed look that was in them seconds before.
Historia looks shaken, but the steel in her eyes is unrecognizable from the girl he knew before. All is silent for a moment; then Sasha whimpers, falls to the ground and starts bawling while holding onto Historia's arm.
Fucking hell.
Hange pops up later with their squad to get the group of brats and Levi out of the warehouse. Meanwhile, Erwin, Pixis and Zackley overthrow the other members of Reiss's circle. Historia steps into her role as the leader of Paradis, taking on the position with more confidence in herself. Erwin, Pixis, Zackley and Dok rise to her side. It all goes according to Erwin's plans and predictions for the most part. Given Historia's previous demeanor, Levi does not understand how that man managed to foresee the girl would still stick to their side if she got captured and pressured by Reiss.
He asks Erwin at one point, to which the taller man merely replies, "She's stronger than she looks."
Huh. Smartass.
Erwin settles into his new role rather nicely and the next course of action is making sure that Marley and other crime rings do not try to attack them in the aftermath of the seizure. It takes longer than expected — about five months — before Paradis is stable again. They lost some good people, but there is still potential in the group they have left. New members are initiated, and the size of the group grows within three months of the overthrow. Marley backs off them for now and they finally have time to regroup and start a new Paradis.
When all is resolved, Historia punches him in front of the other brats. Levi gives a small smile at that —knowing that action was warranted — and thanks them. Levi finally has room to breathe. But he has somewhere to be.
Ducking out of the celebration, he sees Sasha getting into a fight with Connie and Jean over some meat. He passes by Hange trying to do some weird-ass interpretive dance with Moblit. He overhears Armin arranging for some much-needed getaway to the ocean with Mikasa and Eren. Finally, Levi slips out from headquarters and makes his way over to RealiTea, but not before stopping by somewhere.
From the shadows in an alley on the other side of the street, he can see her sitting at the counter through the glass. Petra is wearing a cream sweater with jeans; it is past closing time, so the overhead ceiling light in the shop creates an orange glow that complements her hair while she looks at her cup of tea and stirs it with her spoon half-heartedly.
The last time Levi went to the shop, he felt terror. The terror is still there but instead of feeling dread about the future, now he feels hope. He steps out of the shadows and runs across the street, not minding the few cars that are honking at him as he maneuvers around them. She sees his figure approaching and immediately rushes to unlock the door. When he comes through the door, they hug, almost crushing one another in their desperation. Petra's arms are wrapped around his shoulders and her face is concealed in the crook of his neck. Levi breathes in her clean, sweet scent and brings his arms tighter around her waist. He lifts his hands to her face, cups her cheeks, and presses her lips to his. She is so soft and warm, and he finally does not give a thought to the filth on his hands, but just takes in how much her presence washes him.
While RealiTea may be his physical safe space, Levi knows — without a doubt — that wherever she is, she is his haven. Whenever she is around, he is secure from the world and all the blood and impurity that cover it. Petra is his comfort and his home. She is the sunlight that filters in through the windows on a new day and he will not let that go ever again.
They break apart and lean their foreheads against one another, their noses touching lightly. She slightly leans back and opens her eyes to stare at him. His face looks a bit haggard; his suit is a bit crinkled and there are traces of dirt on his usually white-collared shirt, but Levi is still as handsome as the first time she saw him. His eyes are still closed, and he just looks so at peace that she starts tearing up. Her face breaks out into a smile, water leaking out the corners of her crinkled eyes. Petra covers his hands with hers, squeezes them and says softly, "I knew you'd come back."
"Tch. Not like I had a choice. My future is with you; I wouldn't give that up even if I were bleeding out on the damn floor of an abandoned warehouse," Levi rasps struggling to calm his beating heart. He practiced this speech on the way over here but has always been shit with words. He can do this. No regrets.
He opens his eyes and looks into her amber-brown ones that are filled with love and warmth for him. Don't hesitate. No regrets. Levi gently brings his hands down from her face. With his right hand, he holds her left hand. Levi's left hand trails to his coat to take out the item in the pocket and then slips it onto her finger. The ring is dainty: a small circular diamond in the center with two little crystals on each side of the thin silver band. Petra eyes widen and sharply intakes a breath.
Well here goes.
"This will not be a normal relationship. I may not —"
Levi stops, barely past his first sentence, when Petra throws her body against his with a small thud. Her arms reach around to hug his shoulders and one hand holds the back of his head to bring him even closer to her. She threads her hand through his dark hair and starts sobbing into his neck. He is surprised, but still wraps his arms around her waist and just says dumbly, "I prepared a speech."
Petra lets out a watery laugh and croaks, "I'm just so happy. Let me appreciate the moment right now." She pulls back a bit, her cheeks streaked with tears, and brings her left hand to his face and caresses his cheek with the back of her hand. Petra takes in the sight of his softened eyes, the dark circles beneath them, the delicate curves of his features and the relaxed lines of his forehead.
Running her thumb over the smooth skin of his cheek, she beams at him and declares, "I love you. Thank you for not leaving things unsaid; if that night were the end for us, I would have been glad we had that time together." She then kisses the space between his brows, whispering tenderly, "And I'm glad we'll have more in the future."
Levi's throat clogs and a rush of emotions — joy, relief, peace, safety, purity — threaten to overwhelm his entire being, so he just settles for holding her tightly and bringing his lips to her sweet warm ones. As they kiss, he knows that as long as he has Petra, he does not need to be concerned with no tomorrow. The reality is that he does have a future worth thinking about. And it is now.
Author's Note:
Over 20 pages later and 13,000+ words later, welcome to my first fanfiction! This was inspired by a piece that I wrote with a friend in school a few years back for a creative writing elective. We wrote that piece based on the MV for the song "Now" by TroubleMaker. Would highly recommend listening to it if you get the chance. I happened to remember the story one day when I was listening to the song, and then just decided to adapt it into this (very long) story since I recently got into Attack on Titan and Rivetra.
This honestly went in a very different direction than the original story, so I cannot believe I wrote 20 pages because that elective was the last time I wrote any kind of story. I also had a pretty stressful time last week, so maybe I just needed an outlet; lo-and-behold, creative writing really helped me out :D
For all those who read this far, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story and please let me know your thoughts if you have any!
P.S. Who else is pumped for the multiple rounds of therapy that will be needed to get over Chapter 139?!