"He was going to be my best man," Levi murmured under his breath.
Petra's sweet caresses on his undercut stop instantly.
Did he just—
Her mouth drops open and a surprised gasp escapes. "What?"
Levi sighs and runs his fingers through his raven hair, his sad expression never leaving his face.
"I was planning to propose," he explains. "The ring is hidden in my drawer. I would simply ask you if you want to marry me, but Erwin said I should make it more romantic and shit. You women like that, right?"
Petra blinks, not knowing how to answer. Maybe Levi's grief for Erwin makes him say ridiculous things.
A ring? A marriage proposal? Sure, the idea of a future together is something that they have discussed. But now it's already happening! Petra can't believe how fast things have evolved. It seems like yesterday when she was trying to hide her crush from her captain and she was crying herself to sleep because she thought she would never have him.
Levi breaks the silence after a few quiet moments: "Shit. I ruined it, didn't I? I shouldn't have told you".
Petra unfreezes and throws herself on him.
"No, no! I'm glad you did!" she hugs him so tightly that he grunts. "But... are you sure?" she lifts her eyes worryingly to meet his.
"As hell," he presses a kiss to her forehead. "Don't want our child to be a bastard".
She breaks the hug. "What... what child?"
"The one we are going to have," he replies nonchalantly, pulling her close again. "And every one that follows".
If Petra could see her face, she'd certainly laugh at how ridiculously astonished she looks.
"Come on, you've seen me around little Eld," he washes away a salty tear on her face with his thumb. "I can't get enough of him. I want one of my own. Ours. And now... I have a family name to give him".
"Or her!" Petra leans on his shoulder.
They spend the following moments peacefully. Silent in each other's presence.
Petra was worried she had lost him. He was not the same after Erwin's death. He hadn't said a word on their way back after that awful expedition. Only ten survivors out of the hundreds that had begun. Petra was lucky to make it back. But it seemed she returned to a different reality than the one she had left behind.
Levi never had been cheerful, but he had a few affectionate smiles reserved just for her. Those smiles were gone.
Petra had seen him many times curse the titans and murmur some quite aggressive comments about them. But none of that compared to Levi's words of rage about that 'shitty monkey-head'. The fire in his eyes was justified, but it scared Petra more than she would admit.
However, now… as she enjoys these sweet moments of tranquility in each other's arms… his tenderness finds its way back to her. Her loving boyfriend has returned. No. Not her boyfriend. Her fiancé.
Petra closes her eyes and sends a prayer into the uncharted depths of the universe:
Erwin. Thank you for being so important to Levi. Thank you for taking him away from the underground. Without you, I wouldn't have met him. I owe you my happiness.
Levi once told me about Marie. I'm sorry that you didn't get to live what Levi and I have. I will try to honor your sacrifice.
It may be too early, but Petra believes she has already found a name for her first son. Levi will probably agree, but she won't tell him yet. 'Erwin Ackerman' sounds great.
"So..." Levi breaks the silence and sits up. "When can we marry?"
Petra chuckles, but his insistent look says he's dead serious. "You want to set a date already? You just proposed!"
"Why wait?" he shrugs. "We know what we want".
She wanted to avoid speaking about Erwin. It would ruin the happy mood. But she wants to be open and honest. She searches for the right words in order not to say his name.
"Yeah, but... I worry about you, Levi. I don't think you are in a good emotional state right now, and taking big decisions maybe is not what you should do for the time being".
Levi pushes her hand away from his face. "You want to marry me, yes or no?"
His cold demeanor won't fool her. He's just scared. Petra will be gentle with him. And if she has to bring up Erwin, she will.
"Weddings are all about celebration and happiness," she explains patiently. "But I don't want you to pretend to be happy. You are not. You still grieve. Erwin was very close to you, it's natural".
She can only see his back, but she makes out the relaxed muscles. He's calming down.
"I am happy," his voice is a soft whisper. "I'm happy that I'm with you".
"I know, Levi. You make me happy too. But give yourself some time to breathe, okay? Why rush things? We have all of our lives ahead".
"Erwin had his too".
Petra gives him a tight hug. "I'm sorry. Life is unfair. But that doesn't mean we should make hasty decisions".
He's still at first, but after a while he hugs her back.
Petra has experienced the loss of soldiers that were close to her. Friends from the same training batch. And then Eld. Gunther. Oluo. But she doesn't pretend to know what Levi is going through right now. Petra never had a best friend. What Levi and Erwin shared… Connection. Even she was jealous of it. She doesn't know what it's like to lose someone so special. But she will be there for Levi. For everything he needs.
"Just to be clear..." he clears his throat, "you accept the proposal, right?"
Petra giggles. "What do you think, silly?"
"I'm sorry. I know this wasn't the kind of proposal you were waiting for".
"What do you mean, baby?"
"No ring, no flowers, no heartfelt confession… But then again, you shouldn't have high expectations of me. You know I suck at being romantic".
She catches his lips in a quick kiss. "Yes, I know. But the proposal was perfect. You asked me to marry you. I don't want anything else".
"Hey, Pet! How is Levi?"
The brunette woman squeezes her shoulder.
She may be a commander now, but to Petra she'll always be the lunatic that her fiancé loves to tease.
"He's better. I think".
"That's good. He only talks to you. I was worried," Hange doesn't hesitate to admit.
"I'm sure he'll open up soon. Well, as far as it is expected from him," Petra chuckles. "How are you?" she then adds in a serious tone. "You were close with the commander too".
Hange awkwardly scratches her head and Petra momentarily feels guilty about asking. "Erwin will be missed. Anyway, I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now".
"Sure, what is it?"
"As the new commander, I can't have a squad of my own anymore. That means you are left without a leader. So I wanted to propose something".
"To split in different squads? Yes, I've thought about it too. I imagine you don't want me in Levi's squad".
"No, Petra. I want you in your own squad".
She chokes on her own saliva and then proceeds to cough at least five times. "What—What do you mean?"
The commander laughs. "Pet, you know what I mean. Will you take my place as squad leader?"
"Me? But... Are you sure?"
Hange steps closer and winks at her. "You are not Levi's subordinate anymore. Go and shove it to his face".
Petra never was a 'girly' girl particularly, but like everyone, she had imagined her wedding day a few times.
When she was little, she wanted a wedding dress made of clouds and rainbows, with glittering flowers at the sleeves.
Later in her childhood, she dreamed about a wedding dress like the one princess Maria was wearing in one of her fairytales with colored images.
And when she reached adolescence, she imagined herself in the hottest, most rebellious wedding dress, with the deepest V-neck. Mini. And preferably black.
After that age and with her enlistment in the military, she rarely thought about weddings. (At least until a raven-haired captain made his way into her heart). However, she considered traditional white and elegant wedding dresses the perfect choice for any bride, and she would sometimes spare a few moments to pause in front of a shop window to gaze at them, during her strolls in the city.
And even though Petra generally considered herself bold and unconventional, she would never in a million years imagine that… she would not only get married in a stinky with sweat military uniform, covered in mud… but also that the ceremony would be held in a battlefield filled with titans.
The last few months have been most tiring. Cleaning up the area between wall Rose and the reclaimed wall Maria is not an easy task, but they believe that soon all titans will be exterminated.
The excitement she once had while killing titans is now gone, a heavy feeling of sadness taking its place, now that they know what their enemies truly are. Every strike against a titan's nape is a pierce through her own heart.
But she won't give up. She has to fight for a better future. Even if it's raining cats and dogs.
They couldn't have predicted the heavy storm. And now they can't retreat, as at least a dozen titans are circling them.
She can't see well, due to the heavy rain, but she would recognize everywhere Levi's handsome face, as he runs to her after taking down a titan.
They're always formal with each other publicly and especially during expeditions. But now his expression carries the passion he hides only for their private moments.
"Captain, what—"
He grabs her forcefully by the waist and doesn't let her continue. His voice is husky, as he shouts to get his words across to her despite the loud thunders, even though their faces are only inches apart.
"Petra. Always something comes up. Shit happens all the time. You say we should wait for the right time. When the titans are all dead, when the war is over, when we have a more stable life… I say, screw it. Let's get married here and now. We must take life into our hands, not sit around and wait for the conditions to get better. They'll never be perfect enough. And I don't want to marry you only for the good times. I want to marry you and be by your side when everything is shitty, like now. So, Petra Ral, I have a request for you. Marry me now".
Suddenly… there aren't any titans around anymore. There aren't any soldiers either. They are all alone in Paradis island. In the whole world.
She is wet. And not because of the rain.
"Petra?" his voice brings her back to reality, as he shakes her shoulders. His anxious look signals that he's waiting for an answer. "You don't have to, if you don't want. But don't you understand? Who do you want to spend the rest of your life with?"
Petra takes a couple of seconds to process her thoughts and then smiles confidently. She knows exactly what she should say and only one name comes to her mind.
"Hange!" she screams.
Levi lifts an eyebrow in confusion.
"Hange!" Petra repeats, looking around for the commander. And then she spots her. And she shouts even louder than before: "Hange! Marry us!"
The woman shouts back while flying in the air, avoiding a 5-meter titan's fist: "Um... I'm kinda busy at the moment!"
"Do it, you piece of shit, or I'll help that fucking asshole kill you faster," Levi barks.
"Fine! Dear beloved guests, we are gathered here today to—"
Another fist she has to avoid.
"We are gathered here today to—"
The titan almost steps on her, but she flies away.
"Crap, forget this! Levi, you want her?"
"The hell I do!"
"And Petra, you want him?"
"Like crazy!"
"Then by the power invested in me as Commander of the Survey Corps, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride".
Levi grabs her and kisses her fiercely, as if his life depends on it.
Everyone around them tries to keep the titans away from the newlyweds, giving them a few moments to celebrate their union.
Petra didn't get a perfect proposal and she didn't get a perfect wedding. But she did get a perfect husband.