The first to know about them is Hange.
She is a known genius and always has an eye for detail. But it's not thanks to that that she has found about Levi and Petra, rather her lack of manners; she never knocks before entering a room.
"Oh, the things girls do for promotion!" the scientist exclaims as she finds Levi and Petra in an… unprofessional position. "I didn't think Petra was that type".
To say they are startled would be an understatement. Before anything else, they cover themselves.
"You fucking bitch, why don't you knock?" Levi grunts. "Next time you barge in like that, I will make you knock on the door with your stupid head until your brains are out!"
"How rude!" Hange rolls her eyes.
"S-Squad Leader Hange!" Petra stutters. "We were just…"
"Yeah, I got the picture" she giggles.
"Fuck off!" Levi throws his left shoe at her, and before he throws the right too, Hange runs outside and closes the door behind her.
One minute later, they are coming out of the room fully dressed.
"What do you want?" Levi snarls at her.
"I only dropped by to say 'hi'. Maybe drink some tea. But it looks like you are… busy".
Levi casts Hange a snarky expression.
"Seriously though, that's not very nice" she wrinkles her nose. "You shouldn't be taking advantage of your subordinate. She's not your sex toy. No offense, but it's really inappropriate to use her like that. And the poor girl can't refuse because she fears you'll kick her out of the squad! Petra, don't worry!" she embraces the girl a little too tight. "I will protect you!"
"That's not the case!" Petra defends her captain fervently and escapes Hange's grip. "Actually… we've been together for the last couple months or so".
"What a funny girl! I wish I had you on my squad. We'd crack jokes all day!" she playfully hits Petra's back.
"Tch. Not a joke, you shitty Four-Eyes. The only joke around here is your stupid existence".
Hange doesn't seem to notice Levi's insult. Her eyes travel back and forth between the man and the woman in front of her.
At first there's disbelief in her face.
Then the eyes under her goggles begin to narrow.
Slowly, her jaw drops. Her mouth wide open. Incoherent sounds coming out from her mouth.
"Wha—Is… Do you… Ugh… But… Lev—How… Are you…"
"Forgot how to talk? That's a relief" Levi croaks.
"Um… Squad Leader Hange?" Petra shakes the scientist gently. "Are you okay?"
"If I knew she'd shut up, I would have told her about us since day one" Levi huffs.
"Levi has girlfriend!" Hange screams. "I can't believe it! You get to squeeze Petra's tits? How cool is that!"
"Eh…" Petra clears her throat. "Can we not talk about—"
"Honey, seriously what did you find in him? He's short, grumpy and ugly. At least I hope he's a good f—"
"You talk to Eyebrows about this and you're dead" Levi glares at her.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. On one condition!"
"You keep your shitty mouth shut or I'll punch your stupid face so hard that your goggles will come out from the other side".
"Is he that romantic with you too?" Hange elbows Petra.
"What's your god-damn condition?" Levi
"You'll let me officiate" Hange winks.
"Ma'am!" Petra's cheeks turn red. "We are not… Eh… We haven't been together for very l—"
"Deal" Levi cuts her off.
"Splendid, splendid!" Hange claps her hands playfully. "And if you ever find yourselves bored and wanna try some threesome—"
"Absolutely no" Levi gives her a brusque look.
"Ha! Whatever! If you want to know, I would be much more preoccupied with Petra than with you".
The next to find out is Eld.
He finds Petra crying in the kitchen, in the middle of the night.
"Pet? God, what's wrong?" he sits next to her and rubs her trembling back.
At first, the sobs don't let her speak. Eld gives her a glass of water and receives a bone-crushing hug.
"Hey. What happened?" he asks with concern. "Please, don't cry!"
"Eld! I'm sorry. I didn't… didn't want to upset you!" she tries to calm down, but fails. "Did I wake you up?"
"No, no! I got thirsty and I came here for some water".
"O… Okay!" she blows her nose into a silk handkerchief.
"What's the matter, Pet? I'm seriously starting to worry".
"No, no, it's stupid. Don't… Don't mind me. Just go to sleep".
"And leave you alone? In this state? Tell me how can I help".
"I just… I… I'm worried about the captain. That's all".
"Oh, Pet!" he embraces her tightly and lets her cry on his shoulder. "He's gonna be fine! It's only a minor surgery. He'll be back before you know it".
"I… I know, but… But when I saw him in that bed… I… I…" her sobs get in the way of talking.
Eld takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and gives it to her.
"Our captain is tough" he reassures her. "He won't let a leg injury bring him down. Commander Erwin made sure he has the best doctors".
That's true. Levi got the best medical attention. Not only because he is Humanity's Strongest, but also because the Commander is his closest friend.
Despite that, Petra still cannot calm down. She can't get the picture of him bleeding out of her mind. She has been to a handful of first aid workshops, but her hands were trembling uncontrollably when she got to him. She couldn't attend to him. Not that she could have done much.
But the doctors will do everything she couldn't. Levi will be alright. He will return home to her. She knows that. And yet… She can't stop crying.
"I… I thought if I came here and made myself some tea, I would feel less lonely. Like he'd be here in a way. But it tastes awful! I don't know what I got wrong! I—I—"
Eld pats her head affectionately. "You care about him so much. So… I had my suspicions, but now I'm sure".
Petra freezes. "Wha— What are you talking about, Eld?"
"The way you look at him. And the way he looks at you. It's the same as me and Melanie when we look each other" he smiles at her.
"No, I… Um… No, it's not…".
"It's alright, Pet. I'm no snitch" he chuckles. "I want you to be happy".
Her face is full of tears, her eyes red, but she somehow manages to beam at him. "Thank you, Eld".
"No big deal. I believe that such beautiful feelings shouldn't be prohibited by any military rule".
She leans her head on his shoulder. "You really understand me. Now I feel bad because only now do I understand you".
"What do you mean?"
"Being away from your loved one is… It sucks".
"You can say that again". The young man breathes in and stares ahead with a blank expression.
"I'm so sorry, Eld" her hand delicately squeezes him on the shoulder. "I never imagined it was so difficult. I haven't seen Levi in a week and I'm crying my eyes out, while you are away from Melanie for months! Seriously, how do you cope?"
"Well… Don't think my heart is made of rock, sometimes I cry too. But don't tell the guys".
"Don't worry" Petra laughs weakly.
"It's hard. Sometimes having too much work to do, you know… All the training, the expeditions and such… My mind is too occupied to think about her. But other times… I miss her like crazy" he admits in a low voice.
"And what do you do then?"
"I can only be patient, right?" Eld laughs nervously. Petra leans her head on his shoulder. "Sometimes, I dream of a house in the countryside. I leave the army, I marry her, we run a small shop, grow some vegetables, have five kids and maybe one dog".
Petra smiles. She would lie to herself if she didn't admit that sometimes she was dreaming about all that too. She and Levi could easily manage a tea shop.
"Don't get me wrong!" Eld continues. "I honestly want to help saving humanity. And I love fighting along the captain and all of you. But sometimes my mind wanders off".
"Yeah, I totally understand that" Petra sighs.
"I'm happy for you two, Pet. Really am. He's a good man. If you look past his 'clean-freak' issues, that is". They both giggle at that. "But if he ever hurts you, I'll kick his ass. I don't care he's my captain" he adds in a serious tone.
"You are very sweet, Eld! But Levi will never hurt me. He's so sweet, so loving, so… so…"
She has to hold back her tears. She can't start crying again!
"Hey, I know what'll make you feel better!" Eld elbows her. "Why don't we write him a card?"
"A card?"
"Yeah. With wishes for fast recovery and all that".
"That… That sounds nice".
Captain,
Eld is shitty at training us. Tch. I hope you recover soon from your injuries. We need you here as soon as possible. Maybe consider me for second in command?
Oluo.
Captain Levi,
I made a bet with Oluo that you will come back home before Sunday. Please, hurry and recover soon, sir! Help me win! I will take you out for beer with the money I'll win from Oluo. Or tea, I guess.
From Gunther.
Captain,
Everything here runs normally, sir. I try my best not to disappoint you. If you have time and strength, please write us a letter to let us know that everything is alright. Oluo won't admit it, but he's so scared that he pisses his bed. Don't worry, he cleans the sheets!
Sincerely, Eld.
Captain Levi,
I whole-heartedly hope that this letter finds you safe and healthy. We all worry about you so much! We write to you so you know that we're thinking of you. Please, don't feel alone! I'm sure the Commander and Squad Leader Hange are there for you. But your squad is here too! We're waiting for you.
Petra.
She wants to write so much more, but she saves it for when she meets him in person.
To all of the squad's surprise, the captain's response comes a few days later. As short as anyone would expect. But still the fact that he got into the trouble of answering was a jaw-dropping fact.
Oluo, if I find dust in your room when I come back, you're dead.
Gunther, feed my horse.
Eld, continue training the others.
Petra, I'm sorry for leaving you alone with three morons.
Nifa finds out too.
"All men are pigs, Petra!" she cries into her friend's shoulder.
"Hush, sweetie! He's not worth your tears" Petra gently caresses her trembling back.
"I hate him! How could he do this to me? I thought he… he lo— Why? Petra! Please, make it stop!"
Petra's friend collapses on the floor. Poor girl. Petra wishes she never has to experience this kind of pain. Not that there's any chance. Levi would never break her heart. The last few months have been an eternal bliss for both of them. But now's not the time to think about her impeccably perfect boyfriend. Nifa is in need of a consoling presence, so Petra kneels down and cups the girl's face. The sight of her swollen eyes causes her to let out a pain-filled exclaim.
"Honey! Don't think about him! He's a jerk. Pretend he never existed, okay?"
"He sure is a jerk! The most handsome, muscled, cheating jerk! Why did he do it, Petra? Wasn't I enough?" Nifa's chin wobbles.
"Oh no! Don't think like that!" she takes her face into her hands and lifts it up, so she looks her in the eye. "He cheated because he has a problem. Not you. You are a perfect, beautiful, single lady who will not cry for a guy anymore!"
"You're right" Nifa sniffs and the tears slowly stop. "I won't cry again for anyone".
"That's my girl!"
"Because I won't be with anyone ever again. It's not worth it. All men are pigs!"
"Hey, Nifa—"
"They are all terrible! Every single one of them! They will betray me with no regrets. They only care about fucking!"
The waterfall in her eyes is there again. This time stronger than before. Petra gives her a loving embrace, so tight as to signify that she won't leave her alone in this.
"Hey, sweetie? It's perfectly fine if you want to stay single. I support you one hundred per cent. You don't need any man to be complete. You're already a goddess" she wipes off a tear in Nifa's face. "But it's wrong to believe that all men are like that".
"Aren't they?"
"No. Sure, there are many bad men, who do terrible things and behave in the worst way possible. But there are also wonderful men out there. Men who treat you like a queen".
"Sure!" Nifa scowls in irony. "Good luck in finding someone like that!"
Well… She has already found him, but now's not the moment to brag about it.
"Nifa, trust me. There are guys who are thoughtful. Sweet. Caring. They look out for you. They are gentle. And kind! Maybe not very romantic" she chuckles. "But wonderful all the same".
"Stop telling me lies. Wake up, Petra! This isn't a fairy tale! There is no male in the world who fits your description".
"And I say there is!" she folds her arms in front of her, like a stubborn child, defending her dearest.
"Yeah? Who?"
"I… I can't say that".
"What?" Nifa blinks in confusion, almost forget her own problem.
"Just believe me. Okay, Nifa? Not all boyfriends are trash".
"Pet, do you have a boyfriend?" the girl gasps and stares deeply into her amber eyes.
"I… I was talking g-generally!" Petra stutters. "The point is that you can't blame all men for something James did. You simply made a mistake to trust him. It's because you didn't know him long enough when you started… eh… dating".
"And you knew your guy better?" Nifa groans.
"Yes! I knew him very well, actually!"
"So, you do have a boyfriend!"
"Now we are talking about you, not me. How about I make you some hot tea? Tea always helps".
"Break up with him" Nifa says abruptly, more serious than Petra has ever seen her.
"What?"
"He will break your heart eventually. Whoever he is. No matter how great you think he is now". Nifa wipes her own tears and stands up from the floor. She looks down at Petra, who is frozen. "It won't last long. Get out of it while you can".
"I… Nifa…" Petra gathers the strength and stands up too. "I would never break up with him. I… I love him".
"That's a big word".
"I know" she nods.
Nifa takes a step closer and looks deep into her eyes. Maybe to figure out if Petra is telling the truth. But Petra won't be intimidated. She's confident about her feelings and will not be swayed. She gives her friend a loving smile.
"Who is it?"
"We decided to keep it a secret. I'm so sorry for not telling you anything, but-"
"Do I know him?"
The curious look on Nifa's face reminds Petra of their time together in the Training Corps, when they would talk about boys and their silly crushes. Petra mostly listened, because she never developed feelings for anyone back then.
They used to be close. If Petra wants to be honest with herself, she must admit her nostalgic feelings about this proximity that once was.
Being now in different squads, the two girls didn't have many chances to speak privately and they slowly drifted apart. But now that Nifa wanted a friend to support her in this dark time, she came to her. After all this time, she trusts her. Petra will trust her too.
"Yes. You do know him" she says slowly. "It's… It's the captain".
Nifa doesn't react at first. "Which captain?"
"My captain. My squad's captain, I mean" Petra explains.
"Captain Levi? Come on, Pet! I know I'm a crying mess and you want to make me laugh, but you didn't have to come up with something so ridiculous!"
Petra's silence says it all.
"No way!" Nifa gasps, her eyes huge as a Titan's. "You are together with captain Levi?!"
"Yeah…"
"But—But—He's so dead-cold with everyone! I'm sorry, I just can't imagine him with a girlfriend! Let alone someone so sweet like you!"
"I understand" Petra chuckles. "Levi may look distant at first. But if you get to really know him, he's extremely sweet and caring".
Nifa hesitates to speak, but she does. With a worrisome tone: "Are you sure he's not… taking advantage of you?"
"Levi would never be able to do something like that to anyone!" Petra laughs at the suggestion, but at the same time she's happy that Nifa wants to look out for her. "Besides, I was the one to confess first. I don't think he'd ever make a move, if I didn't declare my feelings".
Nifa holds back at first, but soon her skeptical expression melts into a genuine smile. "I'm happy you are happy. I really am. I only hope he treats you well".
"He does!" Petra reassures her. "I promise, Nifa. He's so good to me!"
"You deserve it, Pet" she pats her on the shoulder.
It feels so good to talk to someone about how happy her boyfriend makes her!
Now three persons know. Petra ideally would want the whole to know, but she understands the importance of keeping it a secret. If she had to be separated from Levi's squad, it would break her heart. But Hange, Eld or Nifa would never betray them.
The next who finds out about Levi and Petra is the Commander.
But that's not a funny story, nor a bittersweet one.
It all begins outside the Walls. When Petra is smashed to the ground by an abnormal titan.