Hey Squad!

*relaxes into couch and sighs*

Man it's a lazy day in the Ozarks; I think it's going to rain. My energy has thus gone kaput. Between the fall festivals, the weather, Starbucks going straight for my wallet with that pumpkin cream cold brew, I'm quite sure I have fused with the cushions of my couch and will never see the light of day again.

It's a fair trade though. Thanks to all the festivals, I've got saltwater taffy for days! Mmmm. Yall do your thing, and Imma sit here and eat my weight in taffy.

…

…

When there was a knock at her door, Petra gave a groan and looked up from her bed, wiping the tears out of her eyes and not even caring when her voice cracked, "For the last time! I'm fine. I just want to be alone for a while, okay? I'll see you all in the morning."

She wasn't sure who it was this time, but it didn't matter.

Since she had gotten back to her room, it wasn't long before the guys had all come to visit her as a group, then thirty or so minutes later, Oluo had come back to check up on her, not long after that it was Gunther, and Petra had decided to lock her door as soon as he left. She was tired of their pitying glances and various bits of advice that ranged from complaining to Erwin, assaulting the Captain - it was even suggested that she move to Hanji's squad considering the Captain clearly had no respect for her.

She had laughed it off, explaining she had no place on a team that revolved around research and numbers, and again tried to confirm to her angry and worried teammates that she was fine.

Of course, she wasn't fine, everyone knew it, and that's why they kept coming back. As touching as their concern was, she just couldn't deal with them right now. They wanted to make things better, to take the pain away, but that wasn't possible because it was Levi and nothing they could say could fix the rift between them – could fix the things he had said to her.

So, she knew that more than anything, she just needed time to think and sort her thoughts out, alone.

It didn't matter how she addressed it in her mind, she just couldn't get his words out of her head. She wasn't even sure what hurt worse – the fact that Levi, even Levi, had accused her of using her body to get ahead, the fact that he looked her straight in the eye and told her she was nothing to him, or if it was the knowledge that after all this time, she was just Petra Ral in his eyes.

She heard her doorknob twist and creek and Petra stood up from her bed in irritation, annoyed that her unwanted visitor wasn't seeming to take a hint. "I just said that I wanted to be left alone for a while, fucking go away!"

She began to move toward the door, preparing to kick it in attempt to scare them off – she presumed it was Eld as he was the last one that hadn't given her a solo visit yet – but the door opened of its own accord and Petra's blood had run cold at once, because it wasn't Eld that stepped inside.

It was Levi.

"Sorry, I heard you but…this is important."

He shut the door behind him and Petra blinked in confusion because for one, she hadn't expected that it was actually Levi on the other side of the door, but what was more, she could have sworn she locked it - perhaps she was mistaken?

As Levi looked at her, there was a strange note of concern in his gaze. His eyes were filled with regret, anxiousness, longing - Petra tightened her lips as a sort of rage filled her because – no, there was no way he had said the things he had today just to apologize for it three hours later, as if that would make it all better!

She took one intentional and aggressive step toward him and though he could see it in her eyes and knew exactly what she was about to do, he didn't stop her. A deep-set frown came across her features and in a moment, she threw her hand back and slapped him, hard, a high-pitched smack echoing off the walls in result; the impact of her hand across his face having enough force behind it that it made his eyes water and ears ring.

He blinked a few times at the pounding sensation that was throbbing deep within his jaw and he stared down into the floor for a few moments to get his bearings again because Petra was a trained soldier and now the room was somewhat spinning. He cleared his throat and kept blinking the sting out of his eyes, his voice strained as he spoke through the pain, "Okay, I deserved that. I just-"

Petra crossed her arms and looked up at him narrowly, not giving him the option to explain himself. "Who do you think you are? You kiss me, then in the next moment push me away and make me feel terrible, you ignore me for weeks, and then you decide to get all cozy with me this afternoon, what, just so you can go in for the kill and obliterate whatever pieces are left of my self-esteem? Was the night after the banquet not enough for you? This morning over coffee not demeaning enough? After publicly shaming me in front of the entire Scout Regiment, now you have the audacity to come in here, when it's just the two of us, look at me with those eyes and act like you're sorry? You are…"

Petra paused as she tried to find her words and Levi looked up toward her with a guilty expression, an angry and swollen red mark appearing on the side of his face from where she had slapped him. Under the weight of his remorseful stare, she gave a sniffle and wiped her eyes because she had slapped him like he deserved, outright slapped the strongest man in the entire military no less, and she couldn't even be happy about it.

The truth was, she didn't want to hit him – she wanted to not feel so small, to not be so insignificant in the eyes of Humanity's Strongest. She wanted the thoughts in her head, the nagging insecurities that plagued her, to finally end. She wanted the overwhelming shame to go away and she wanted to feel trust when she thought of her Captain.

Not shame, not guilt, and… certainly not this overwhelming doubt that she was, or could ever be, enough for someone like him.

Her lips tightened in a scowl and she gave a sort of scoff as she watched him in warning, "I don't know what, but you're something alright. Now you listen to me, Captain - you can…you can try to devalue me, you can make fun of me and tear me down in front of the guys, but-" As she spoke, her voice got warbly and tears were heavily blurring her vision. Again she rubbed her eyes and gave a frustrated groan, "Shit, why now, dammit? I'm angry, so why then? Why am I crying dammit? Fuck!"

The intensity of her voice weakened and though she couldn't get more than a whisper out between her tears, her eyes still held a sort of defiant fire as she watched him defiantly, "Make no mistake - you will not treat me like this, Levi. I may…mean nothing to you-" Again her voice cracked and Levi gave her a concerned look as if asking if she was going to let him speak at all, and she forced words out of her mouth that came out in a high pitched sort of whine, "But you mean something to me, a big something, and I- ugh, dammit!"

A sort of sob escaped her and she turned around in embarrassment, turning her back to the Captain and bringing a hand over her mouth as tears ran down her face with greater force. She didn't want to cry, no, she wanted to scream, to put the pompous asshole in his place and demand his respect because she had treated him nothing if not respectfully so he owed her at least that much – but it was just…she wasn't mentally prepared to see him while her thoughts were still so unsorted like this!

She hadn't believed that Levi himself would come to address her so soon, if he even intended to address her at all. He had already been ignoring her for weeks so in her mind, what was another few days, and yet here he was with that damned look in his eye that seemed to see right through her. As angry as she was, she was hurting even more, and the fact that he was here at all tested her resolve because as much as she hated herself for it, she secretly wanted him to be the one to pick up the pieces. It had been weeks of her longing to hear his voice, longing for his conversation and attention, and while her anger was justified, more than justified, she couldn't understand why part of her was relieved.

From behind her she heard a long sigh and the sound of footsteps. She could sense him standing right behind her, but she didn't dare turn around to face him because even if she was vulnerable and weak when it came to Levi, she still had her pride, and her forgiveness would not be so easily won by the man who had belittled and demeaned her not hours before.

"Petra…" he whispered her name quietly, a gentleness and a sort of caution in his tone. It was as though he was afraid he would break her. A hand was placed on her shoulder and Levi gently tugged at her in attempts to get her to turn around, his voice cautious and light, "You should know I'm not good at this sort of thing and it would help if you-"

She shook her head and pulled her shoulder out of his grasp with a shrug, staying rooted in her spot as she refused to face him. She bit her lip and continued staring into the ground as tears fell down her face and onto the floor, "I think…I think you should leave, Captain. I'm sorry, but I just can't do this right now. Maybe tomorrow or maybe-"

He groaned at her dismissal, an anxiousness in his stomach because he didn't know if it was best to honor her request, or if that would be giving up too easily. He couldn't force her into anything, not even a step further than what she was comfortable with considering how far he had stepped over the line earlier but…he just didn't want to walk away and leave her crying over him for a second time because of his mistakes.

"Petra-"

There was a desperation in his voice that caused her to reconsider because he sounded so sincere and yet…

His hands moved up to her forearms gently. Instead of pulling her around or nudging her this or that way like she was expecting, and subsequently prepared to fight against, Levi instead pulled her back against his chest tightly. He wrapped his arms fully around her front in a sudden embrace, his grip sure as he held her against him. She exhaled in surprise, her mind blanking as she was suddenly pressed so securely against him.

From behind her, his lips were close to her ear as he spoke, "Please listen," he whispered softly, "I'm sorry, okay?"

For a moment, she almost considered giving a small nod, a part of her content to just relax against him because it was the only thing that made sense to her in this mess; allow him to soothe her troubled mind and wipe her tears away, but an alternate, protective side of her sparked to life fiercely. She shook her head vigorously, pulling at his arms and stubbornly trying to resist him because the side of her that wanted to linger and enjoy his touch was the same side that had gotten her hurt so badly, over and over again, by the exact man that she was tempted to give in to even now.

"No. No, I'm mad at you!" she retorted hotly, speaking more to herself than the Captain and trying to bolster her wavering resolve. Though she continued to pull and wrestle out of his hold, Levi merely held her tighter, stubborn in his own right as he too fought to keep her close to him.

She wrestled against him for a moment longer and gave a frustrated sigh because try as she may, she knew she could never outpower him. Even if he had the upper hand, she refused to give into him. She wanted to be angry and make him feel terrible for what he had done, but she was just so exhausted, and it was hard to fight what came so naturally to her after weeks of being so distanced from him.

"You're mad?" he questioned lowly in her ear, and Petra merely gave a nod by way of response, causing Levi to give a small chuckle at her stubborn nature on full display, "Well good, because you should be. You should be furious. Be mad at me, just…" he exhaled, somewhat pleading with the woman in his arms and praying that he was somehow appealing to her good graces, "Just be mad with me, please. Be mad while I'm still here, and you can vent your frustrations or hit me, or shout at me, or cry or…whatever it is you need from me because I…"

He swallowed thickly and he leaned even closer to her, feeling her take a sharp breath of surprise as he spoke so close to her. He shook his head in quiet admission, "Dammit Petra, I fucking miss you."

There was a pause that followed his words, and Petra gave a long sigh.

Levi allowed himself a relieved exhale as a smile pulled at his lips, inwardly noting that he must be doing something right - because Petra seemed to fall back into him, her body relaxing back against him, intentionally resting her head back against his shoulder as she clamped her eyes shut and cried silently in defeat, hot tears rolling down her face and into the fabric of his shirt. She tilted her head away from him and he felt her tremble through quiet sobs that continued to wrack her body. He frowned, guilt overwhelming him as he watched her suffer through the pain that resulted from his shortcomings and his temper.

This wasn't the first time he had made her cry after some of his thoughtless actions, and he felt even more guilty because some part of him knew it wouldn't be the last.

Fuck, he just wished there was something he could do; maybe something he could say that would make it right or take the sting away because everything he had said today had been nothing more than him trying to deny the obvious. "Petra, I was angry today because-" he paused for a moment in thought and sighed, "Well, the why really doesn't matter, does it? Point is, what I said was…"

As he struggled to find his words, though it was subtle, he felt her take a shaky breath. She was still looking away from him but her words were clear and precise, "Levi…tell me, what do I mean to you?"

He frowned at the question, feeling uncertainty and wanting and a number of things all at once; frustrated that she even had to ask at all, yet even still…

What did she mean to him?

Truth was, he didn't even know the answer to that question, and even if he did, would he actually be able to put it into words?

How could he explain the anxiousness he felt, waiting with a nervousness in the pit of his stomach to see if maybe this was the night she finally came back to his office after so long? How could he explain the calm that he felt, the peace that she brought to him when she watched him with that smile he knew no one else would ever receive but him? How could he explain to her that he was scared out of his mind, because Eld was right, he wasn't strong enough to push her away, and as much as he wanted to dive headfirst into all that she was because he trusted her, he just as badly wanted to push her away and intentionally treat her coldly because that was more safe than the unknown.

How could he explain such things to her?

As he thought, Petra shifted her head and looked up toward him – her large green eyes wide and questioning as she waited for his answer. He stared down at her for a long moment, and mind made up in a sort of come what may approach, Levi closed his eyes and pressed his lips against hers because he knew for the life of him that he would never be able to explain it to her, the best he could do was show her.

His lips pressed hesitantly against hers, soft and tenderly, and Petra gave a sort of cry and turned her head to one side with a snap, biting her lip and giving a defiant shake of her head, "No. No, you hurt me, Levi." She whispered bitterly, and he nodded in agreement, his pride pricked from her warranted rejection.

"I know. I'm sorry. If I could take it back, I would." As he spoke, he lightly pulled her hair back to one side of her neck and carefully kissed the spot where her jaw met her ear, pressing his lips against the skin that expanded down her jawline, his movements slow and transparent as he lightly kissed her skin – ensuring his grip was loose so that if Petra wanted him to stop, she had every ability to step back from him or push him away.

Even still, she remained in place, although rigidly, and he whispered against the corner of her lips with resolve, "I swear, it won't happen again." He ran the tip of his nose across her cheek and she bit her lips anxiously; he could feel her breathe in and out as she wrestled with her thoughts.

"I'm mad, Levi." She stated softly, but with a tangible fire in her tone, "So, so mad. The things you said to me today…the way you made me feel, even the way you said my name – damn it all, I just can't get it out of my head. It hurts. It hurts more than words can say and I'm trying to sort it out, trying to build up my mind and my heart but it's just so difficult because…" she gave a broken sigh, "Because it's you. You mean so much to me and…"

He moved to kiss the edge of her mouth with a feather light caress and she gave a sort of whimper, almost turning into his kiss but changing her mind at the last second and she turned away from him intentionally; his lips meeting her cheek instead. He sighed at her persistent rejection and Petra looked to the ground nervously, "And this isn't helping either. I can't – I can't think straight when you do that. I'm so damn mad and hurt and you can't just come in here and…gods my head is spinning."

He paused in place, his voice quiet as he prepared to take a few steps back, certain that he was pushing her too far in attempts to assuage her anger, "Do you want me to stop?"

She paused in place, as though actually considering his question for some time.

Eventually, she gave a long sigh.

"…No."

At her hesitant words that were spoken in an almost sort of defeated pout, he gave a shadow of a smirk and pulled her shoulder. She offered no resistance this time as he directed her to slide around into him, now facing him directly instead of having her back pressed against him like before. He adjusted his position until he was looking in her eyes, and he couldn't help when a small smile came to his lips at the reproachful, cautious stare she watched him with.

He brushed the tears off her face and pushed the hair out of her eyes with the pad of his thumb, speaking as he did so.

"Be mad Petra, because what I did was wrong. But…" he looked down to her lips and trailed off as her own expression changed to a sort of waiting, expectant stare. He watched her part her lips intentionally, impatiently waiting for him as though she could care less about what he was to say, and he exhaled in defeat.

This woman would be the death of him, because Eld was right, he just couldn't deny Petra.

He brought his hands up to the sides of her face and he pressed his lips against hers fully, and he felt Petra, slowly and cautiously, agonizingly slow, kiss him back timidly.

He felt her hands slowly climb up his shoulders and she tenderly kissed him, her lips so soft and cautious that after a moment he felt even more guilty than before, if that was even possible, because it was obvious that Petra was ready to pull away at any given moment, as though she was expecting for something to go wrong or for him to retaliate negatively as he had before.

He intentionally kissed her more deeply as he pulled her against him, putting every unnamable emotion he felt into his actions; his frustration, his wanting, his fear and his desire, as he moved his hands around her, pulling one around the back of her neck and the other settling at her waist, bringing her closer to him still and exhaling against her skin as she continued to kiss him with a still obvious caution.

He pulled back, his breathing coming in short pants as he spoke, "Damn it woman, I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

There was a pause after his words and Petra watched him with a strange, suspicious stare. Levi was about to speak again, confirm that he had technically been ordered to stay there until she accepted his apology, but never quite got the chance. In the next moment Petra had wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, passionately kissing him with abandon; a desperation evident in her actions as fresh tears began to run down her face.

"You…" she spoke angrily against his lips in a tearful snarl, "You're an asshole."

"Yeah." He agreed, brushing his tongue against her lips testingly.

She bit his top lip firmly and while it didn't bleed, there was a sharp pain that resulted from her ferocity and he hissed as her teeth bit into his sensitive flesh. "You humiliated me in front of the whole squad and I'm furious, Levi."

He licked his lips as he pulled back, tasting a metallic coppery substance and he smirked in realization. "Good. You should be."

"You keep saying that."

He pulled her neck firmly toward him with a barely tamed fierceness and he pushed his tongue into her mouth as she gasped from the force. He pressed his tongue against hers forcefully, and she gave a breathy moan when he eventually pulled back so they could catch their breath, allowing her to taste the blood on his lips that she had drawn from him previously.

"You're an amazing woman Petra. You shouldn't take shit from anyone, not even me."

As he said this, his eyes were narrowed critically, and she realized he was being completely serious. She paused at the serious turn and swallowed in preparation as she spoke the words that had been plaguing her relentlessly. "Levi…I've got to know. Do you care for me? I'm not… I'm not just…some girl that's on your squad? Before when you said that…I understand that our situation is just a result of everything with my father, but I feel that things have changed since then and maybe, but if I'm reading into things then I've got to know because…"

He groaned as she looked down to the floor nervously and he pulled her chin up with his index finger, "Woman, if you only knew how much shit I've been getting lately. Pretty sure it's obvious to everyone except you that you're not just some girl to me."

She gave him a tearful smile, "…Really?"

"Really. Now fucking kiss me woman, please. It's been three weeks without a damn word and if you give me one more fucking 'Good Morning Captain' I'm going to lose my shit."

She gave a laugh and leaned back into him, both somewhat testing the other's reactions as they tiptoed and tested the boundaries they had once agreed and sworn to each other that they would not cross, because they so clearly didn't want the other in such a way.

Petra's lips pressed against his in light and hurried pecks, pulling at his lips with a sort of bite before moving down to his jaw. His lips parted and a sort of sigh left him when Petra pressed her lips lightly against his neck. He could feel her tongue flit out against his skin for just a brief moment, and his mind completely blanked from the desirable and unexpected sensation.

Her hands ran down his shoulders, over the fabric of his shirt, palming his chest and causing his heart to race as her actions were morphing into something different, something with intent that caused an intensifying ache to start to build within him from her bold advances. His breathing was more heavy as she stood up on her toes, leaning toward him as though she were planning to kiss him again, but stopping just short as he leaned forward desperately to meet her, being left hungry and mouth parted when she teased him with a mere shadow of a peck before dragging her lips gently back across the edge of his jaw line, and stopping at his neck as she traced the shell of his ear with her lips.

Her hot breath on his skin caused a wanton tingle to run down his spine and he gave a low exhale that turned into a suddenly sharp gasp as he felt her bring his earlobe into her mouth.

"Fuck, Petra…what are-"

She sucked on the skin for just a second and his words died on his tongue in an instant, unable to finish his sentence as his mind blanked a second time. In a knee jerk reaction, he tilted his head back and a soft groan left his throat when she nipped at the taut skin of his adam's apple, her hands still running over his chest with winding circles of her palms and making it impossible for him to think about anything that wasn't her mouth or infuriatingly light, teasing caresses.

She continued trailing him with light, open mouthed kisses and when she reached his ear again, her hot breath continued to tickle his skin and drive him mad. "Levi…" she breathed against him, her words a heated, sensual whisper, "This day. These past few weeks, it's been a damn nightmare. Make me forget."

She looked back toward him with a come-hither gaze before pressing a fervent kiss against his lips that made the breath catch in his lungs as though inhaling fire. His hands tightened around her hips to ensure they didn't start roaming her body outright, because he knew the meaning of her words, knew what she wanted as her hands moved unbiddenly over his torso, and he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach because he had almost made that mistake once, and especially after today, he couldn't risk making the same mistake again.

"No, Petra," he stated breathlessly against her full lips, kissing her gently and taking care to ensure that his voice was soft but left no room for debate, "I've taken enough from you today. That's not why I came here."

He could feel her smirk at his words, and he mentally groaned because she wasn't making it easy for him to take the high road. He forced himself to speak, "Petra. Stop. We…I don't…shit, Petra we can't."

Though he wasn't returning her fervency, he wasn't successfully stopping hers either. She only intensified her kiss with a wave of passion and Levi moaned deeply into her mouth in response when she pulled him forward to meet her, caught off guard by Petra's unrelenting and erotic actions as she continued to bait him endlessly. She pressed her body into him and arched up into his chest, giving a slight moan as she tilted her head back and exposed her long neck to him as a sort of invitation while she wound herself against him suggestively.

With her soft curves pressed into him, the sounds she was making, and the painfully desirable sight she was with her kiss swollen lips and elongated neck, Levi began leaning down toward her throat in a lusty, desperate trance, but caught himself at the last moment and he stood up rigidly, causing Petra to give a small smirk at his last second retreat. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and undid the top button, rubbing her thumb along the newly exposed hollow of his throat as she spoke with a honeyed innocence, "We can't? And why not, Levi?"

He swallowed thickly at hearing his name roll off her tongue in a purr, and Petra continued breathlessly, "You're my husband, aren't you? Isn't this the sort of thing that couples do? After all, you came to make it up to me, so just think about it." She paused then as she caught his stare, her golden orbs swimming with desire as she licked her lips breathlessly, "You and I…we could have a lot of fun together."

She ran her hands down him this time, down his chest, over his sides, near the hem of his pants and going so far as to loop a thumb into the crease of one of his front pockets, tracing the hollow of his hip in a caress through the pocket's thin lining. He groaned at her brazen touch, stiffening as she traced a single finger up the center of his abs with her other hand, looking down his body and watching her fingers in fascination as they traced over his stomach. Her voice was soft and sweet, beckoning him to comply with her demands, "…Please?"

Levi exhaled, low and deep as she continued to press herself against him intentionally, touching him in ways that made it hard to think and even harder to push her away because he was trying to do the right thing and fuck, this wasn't fucking fair. She was lithe and beautiful and desperate, panting as she watched him with an inviting stare that spoke of promise; all but begging him with sugary words and sultry tones that were a dangerous mix of her usual rationale, broken and abused by his behavior, and the actual chemistry they had both been avoiding for so long. Her voice, her boldness, her absolute trust - he wanted her so damn bad, wanted to explore the softness of her body that contoured so effortlessly against him - fuck would it really be so bad if they just…

He locked his jaw and made a pained face, taking a deep breath.

"Petra, no." he repeated with a strained exhale, trying desperately to ignore the ways she touched him, this time holding onto her shoulders and forcing her to remain in place as he took a step back from her in order to create a safe distance between them. Shit, he could lie to Eld, could brush it off with Erwin or keep his composure from day to day, but he couldn't lie to himself – he wanted Petra, he found her so irresistibly attractive, and so to see her like this; his discipline was strained, his own resolve was weakening, and if he didn't act now he'd miss his chance completely.

He gave her a serious look and allowed the silence between them to build as he caught his breath and forcefully willed the fire coursing through his veins to dissipate in a painful, unsatisfying end. When Petra attempted to take a step toward him, he locked his arms and shook his head sternly, "Stay. You're hurt and vulnerable and Petra, this is not the way to fix it." He took another collective breath and whispered tensely, "Now, behave woman. I know you, and I know you don't want this."

At his tone, she frowned in contemplation before looking to the ground and giving a long sigh.

Her heart was pounding, her emotions were out of control, there was an ache deep within her stomach that made her body crave his touch, he had been watching her in such a way that made her feel empowered and worthwhile and it bothered her because…He was right. Of course he was. He always was.

What was more, she wasn't even sure if he ever would...be with her like that, but even in the event that…perhaps he would, she didn't want it to be resulting from something like this. She was sloppy and crying, she must have looked terrible; it really was no wonder Levi had pushed her away. She was so inexperienced, what the hell would she know about actually seducing a man? She gave a sort of grimaced exhale, taking a few moments to herself to reign in a sort of control and she looked up toward Levi with a remorseful, sheepish frown.

"Hey uh-"

"Oi, don't even start attempting to apologize - it's my fault for putting you at odds to begin with so I won't hear a word of it. I hurt you…again, and I know that has consequences. I want to make it up to you Petra, but not in a way that's just going to lead to more problems later."

She gave a nod of her head and dug her toe in the ground as she tried to bolster up the courage to face him after committing such a blunder, unsure if she felt more ashamed of herself, or simply outright embarrassed for coming onto him so strongly. She pressed her lips together and swallowed thickly, looking up toward him as she spoke softly, "Yeah, that's probably for the best – all things considered." She paused and shrugged as she dug her foot into the ground nervously, "Even still I've…well, missed you too, you know? The guys are great, and I love the squad but…"

At her frazzled sort of statement, Petra took a sudden breath looked up at him with wide eyes, groaning as she nervously fiddled with her hair in agitation, "Shit, I'm just…I really am sorry Captain about how I came across just now and-"

Levi held up a hand, watching her in growing amusement because it seemed that she still wasn't quite ready to let it go and regardless the fact they were both feeling the weight of what could have happened, he couldn't deny that watching her blush was somewhat endearing. He crossed his arms and nodded, "Petra, don't worry about it. I wanted to come in here and apologize but maybe my approach, well, kind of put you up to it. If there's something that I can do though, to make it up to you or to show you that what I said is a poor reflection of-"

Petra took another breath and cut him off, "If you're offering - there is something you could do, maybe? I mean, you…you don't have to, because maybe it's just me being silly or, I don't know, I just…"

She trailed off and gave a shy smile, "Stay with me tonight? No, no - not like, that or anything." She corrected herself with a sort of stammer at his immediately defensive stare, knowing how her words must have come across after her previous antics a mere moment ago. She crossed her arms and a serious expression tightened her features as she explained further, "I just want to be close to you right now, it's been a while since I've spent any real time with you, so it would be nice if you just…I don't know, hung out with me for a bit. Just for a little while, before I fell asleep?"

He stared at her for a long moment, and gave an extended sigh. Of course that's what she wanted from him. Something so simple and tender – even after how terribly he treated her today, in her kindness and gentle spirit, she simply longed to stand by his side because that was her very nature. He wanted the same - to be near her and grant her request, probably more than she knew, but there were a number of problems that instantly arose in his mind in the event that he lingered in Petra's room after hours. He had work to get done, she needed sleep, and with the fact he was already on the rocks with the men of his squad, he didn't want them to think that he had taken advantage of Petra – something they would undoubtedly accuse him of if he tiptoed out of her room first thing in the morning.

His voice was cautious, "Petra, I don't know. We are both on active duty tomorrow and after today, you particularly need to get some proper rest. You can't afford to stay up late just because of me."

He was hoping she might back down and listen to reason, but when she merely watched him with wide, hopeful eyes, he exhaled in defeat and rubbed his temples, "Okay, alright listen. I'll stay, but you have to go to bed and once you're asleep I'll need to leave because I've still got work to get done. I've got those quarterly reports due and my weekly analytics haven't been updated, the training reports are behind and-"

Petra's eyes narrowed at his words, a clear sort of worry now evident in her gaze, "Wait. Captain, you're behind again? Oh shoot, I never even thought of that. We can go right now and get it done; I can't believe I didn't-"

As she spoke, she was already walking toward her door and Levi stopped her, intentionally reaching the door first and holding his arm against it firmly as he watched her with narrowed eyes, "You know, if you continue to act without even an ounce of selfishness, it'll be your own damn fault when someone comes and takes advantage of you." He paused and shook his head, smirking at the confused look across Petra's face because he knew his words were wasted on his tender-hearted subordinate. He crossed his arms and tried again, "You are going to bed. I will stay here with you if that is what you wish, but under no circumstances are you permitted within ten feet of my office right now, understood?"

She merely blinked at looked at the closed door in wonder, "…So, I'm confused. We're not going to get your paperwork caught back up?"

"Fucking hell. Get your ass to bed, woman."

…

End of Chapter

...

So, as always, I'm curious as to your thoughts? I've had a lot of people call for Levi's blood and suffering because he is/was such an insufferable pick, and while I as the writer and fellow fan wanted nothing more than to belittle the jerk and hang him out to dry all those months back during the writing process…

I just couldn't see Petra able to keep an actual grudge against him, if he ever sincerely apologized to her. If yall ever looked at the character 'stats' of how they rank on certain character traits on 1-10, I think Petra's rate for kindness was in fact, a ten! (I hope I'm not making that up, too lazy to fact check right now.) As we all know, relationships are complicated, and I tried to write it out as well as I could, but whereas before when Levi had hurt her, he walked away completely, leaving Petra bleeding and as a result, growing some thicker skin because she had to – there was no one there to help heal except herself! As a result, she was cold, distant, fake, and guarded and just playing her role perfectly because it's all she could do with Levi holding her at arms distance.

This time around, in the heat of the aftermath, Levi actually shows up – something she had NOT expected – and while she fights him to the best of her ability because she's hurt and miserable and bleeding – reality is that she misses him and aches for his friendship, and fact of the matter is, as much as an absolute prick Levi can be – Petra's care for him is deeper than her anger, and she can only keep up her pretenses for so long before her more true feelings bubble to the surface. (Much as Levi had once predicted they would!)

Either way, I hope this week was an enjoyable read and highlights the growth, the weaknesses, the problems of their relationship – all that good stuff.

As always, say a prayer for my boys today. We got that retro paint out on the field and Arrowhead is looking sharp. Fingers crossed for 3-0!

~Midnight