Hello to my lovely, lovely readers!

Truth be told, it's again another day where I'm really dragging because we had a late-night last night in preparation for our kayaking trip today (first trip of the year!) and so as I type this up, I'm really just half awake at best. None the less, I can't help but say that as always, you guys have made my week with your thoughts, your excitement, and your support in both this one, and my bitty little side piece that I posted for funsies. For me, my week was actually kinda crummy, so to see the thoughts and kindness of my reading community really put a smile on my face and I'm sincerely grateful for it.

Either way, I'll stop rambling, give another sincere thanks, and let yall do your thing. Happy Sunday!

…

…

"Look at that, up and moving all on your own!" Eld nodded toward her leg and smiled, "How's it feel?"

"Actually, kind of weird." Petra admitted with a bewildered shake of her head, also looking down at her leg and flexing her foot from within the concealment of her riding boot and feeling her brace tight against her skin, "I wasn't even aware of how used to the cast I was until it was gone. I'll admit that I'm still feeling on the weaker side now that I'm walking on my own, but the doctor said that should only last for a week or two. I'm hoping to be feeling a lot more like myself by the time I get back here. Captain mentioned that he'll try to start the rehabilitation process sometime next week; once we're a bit more settled in at my dad's. He's hoping that by the time we get back, I'll be ready to use the 3DM gear again, but perhaps that's still a bit ambitious because it seems the smallest of things tire me out right now. So…I guess we'll see."

Petra took a breath and adjusted back into her chair casually, "Even though it's a while away, it's still a little hazy whether I'll actually be able to participate in the next Expedition or not. Fingers crossed, because after reworking the mechanics of our gas utilization for the Scouts, I'd feel like a schmuck making everyone else use the new system on the front lines while I stayed behind in the Walls safe and sound. It just wouldn't be right."

Eld shook his head as though her fears were ridiculous, and watched her seriously, "If that's what happens, then it is what it is and no one will fault you for it. Frankly, Captain has already given me the material for while you're gone, and most of it trains the squad as a four-man team instead of five, so I wouldn't hold your breath because it's not looking good. Either way though, you and him will be gone for a full four weeks, right? Are you excited?"

"Yeah, I am." She admitted honestly, a slight blush rising to her face as she thought about being alone with Levi for so much time, "Just the fact that Captain is actually coming back with me - it's crazy. Aside from the impossibility of getting the time off and all, I guess some part of me really didn't think he would go so out of his way like this. I know he's apprehensive because he has no way of knowing what he's walking in to, but the fact that Captain could have said no and still chose to come back with me anyway…it's really cool."

"Well, you guys have been married for six months now, right?" Eld asked her seriously, then gave a laugh, "I know you may be surprised that Levi made this trip a sudden priority, but honestly, I would have given him some serious hell if he didn't. After all, Levi wouldn't be much of a man if he had the option to go and still allowed you to go home to face your dad alone. Considering he's the one who proposed to you, it's only fair that he have that conversation with your old man, face to face. Untraditional or not, personal or not, the fact remains that Levi stole you away without your dad's knowledge or blessing, and he'll have to own up to that sooner or later. It's expected, Petra - a man to man thing."

At Eld's words, Petra gave an unconvinced huff and crossed her arms, "Well just because it's 'expected' doesn't mean that it was easy. Even if Levi's never met him before, my dad can be a bit confrontational, so even if we haven't had that direct dialogue, I think Captain knows full well that it won't exactly be a warm welcome. Apparently my dad's been fighting it this whole time, and I don't think he's ready to give up just yet either. I imagine it might be a little…tense."

Eld gave a small chuckle and shook his head, "Well I believe it, but something tells me that Levi will be just fine. He's also stubborn in many ways, and even before you were his wife, he was willing to fight for you in attempts to keep you around. Granted, I haven't met your dad either, but even still - my money'son the Captain for this one. The guy doesn't take well to direct opposition, and in truth, I'll bet some part of him is looking forward to going head to head with your dad, because Levi's probably had it up to here with his interfering in military affairs."

The pair continued conversing, enjoying a cup of coffee and their somewhat relaxed start to the morning; a sort of buzz in the air as both Petra and Levi were making their last-minute preparations and in the current process of leaving. As it stood presently, Levi had teamed up with Gunther and Oluo and they had moved to the stable, moved their horses closer toward the compound, and were now working to properly secure their combined luggage for the trip back to her dad's house.

Again, Eld and Petra watched in silence as Gunther and Levi moved back through the halls, carrying further necessities for their trip, and Eld looked back toward her as he observed his teammates with a passing smirk, "And I see you are still being babied. Captain won't let you carry your own luggage? How romantic, he's so protective of you."

Petra shrugged at Eld's teasing, because she should be so lucky, and she took another light sip of her coffee, "I did offer, and for real I would have had no problem pitching in - but the fact of the matter is it's going to be hard enough just to ride all day, as sad as that is, so Levi was pretty insistent that I try to take it easy this morning and let them do all the manual labor."

Eld grinned as he watched Gunther and Levi move back into the room yet again, carrying a few more bags and exiting the compound a few moments later, "And looks like I'm the lucky one, tasked to keep you company."

Petra watched him skeptically and shook her head with a snort, "More like babysit me. Captain seems to think I'll try to sneak my way in later or something, so he sent you here to keep me occupied. Don't think you're fooling me, Eld."

Again Eld laughed and merely gave a shrug, "Captain is just worried you'll overdo it, like you always do. And besides, it looks like they're just about done. You ready?"

"As I'll ever be. I'm a little nervous; I suppose I share some similar apprehension, same as Levi, because I don't quite know what's waiting for me back home. Is my dad mad, or outright furious – is he just going to break down when he realizes that I actually got married to Levi? The not knowing is killing me. Honestly, it's a shame that my hometown is so far away. My nerves are already eating me alive and I know it's just going to get worse over the trip back home."

Eld's expression grew mischievous and he shrugged innocently, "Well you know Petra, with you and the Captain being alone like this over the next few days while you travel – I'm pretty sure that if you asked him nicely, there's a few things Levi might be willing to do that might help you out with those nerves; you know, have him help you relax a little, in a way that only your dreamy man crush can."

At his insinuation, Petra choked on her coffee with a sudden wave of violent coughs and gasps, blushing immensely as she tried to clear her throat and find some way to respond. Seeing her horrified reaction, Eld's previous smirk melted into surprise and he gave a disbelieving, loud groan because with a reaction like that, he knew at once what that had meant, and it was almost too much for him to stomach because there was just no way.

"Oh damn, for real?" he asked in an amazed whisper, "I was being sarcastic – teasing - because I figured that you guys, well, frankly, already had by now so I assumed that was already on the menu for both of you. But you mean to tell me that…no? Still no?"

When Petra looked up from her coffee cup with a shy, miserable shake of her head, Eld found himself leaning toward her in dismay, "Holy shit Petra, it's been six months where I've seen the two of you watch each other the way you do, and you mean to tell me neither of you have found a way to bridge that gap yet? Petra, I thought you wanted that with him! I know you find him attractive, and I know you care about him - what more are you needing to see from the relationship before, well, you know, you're ready for that or whatever? Don't tell me it's Levi that's been trying to take things slow. The man is extremely attracted to you, and I know you've noticed so don't try to play it off like you don't know that he wants you bad. Honestly Petra, I'm starting to feel bad for the guy. After seeing you as his wife for so long now, his wife that he apparently can't touch, well…he's probably a little…uh, up tight, if you catch my drift."

Petra could only give a defeated sigh and she shrugged mournfully, "I know…but Eld, its complicated, okay? Now listen, you better not tell the guys any of this, because it's none of their business, and…well, it's none of yours either, but I trust you and we both know you'll just pull it out of me later, like you always do, so what's the point."

Eld smirked at her bitter acknowledgement, and Petra spoke softly as she tried to explain, "Levi…it's just been hard these last few months, and things aren't always smooth sailing between us. I broke my ankle, so that alone put a damper on things, but if that wasn't enough, with the whole reworking the usage of gas, well…just think back because you would have seen it yourself. When were we ever together last month? In any capacity, and not just physically, I mean. The only times I saw him were at my routine doctor appointments, and even that mere one hour every two weeks, he had to fight for that. One time Erwin gave us all the night off, so that was nice, but that was seriously it. For the whole month. The rest of my time was spent working with Hanji or the Commander or other squads and their Commanding Officers – I'd work all day and stumble back to my room late at night, usually without so much as seeing Levi, try to get some sleep and do it all over again the next day. That's been my life for the entire duration of my ankle healing up. I'm ashamed to say it, but there's been no time for Levi and our relationship. And for something like that, I would be devastated if our first time was just a moment of weakness one night, followed by not seeing him for another two weeks to even talk about it. Frustrated or not, I think even Levi would have been upset by that."

She gave a sad sigh and shrugged, looking into her coffee mug as she spoke in perhaps what she realized, was actual disappointment, "For the most part, there just hasn't been any opportunities for us to walk those blurred lines and see what's okay or not okay for us, and what's more - I'm not getting into the details because it's really none of your business - but we're somewhat at odds even now. It's okay, I mean, better said, things will be okay, but it doesn't take the bite or betrayal or the pain of it all away. I haven't been around Captain for a while, and now that I have been, he's not exactly my favorite person. What's more, my head is a mess because everything with my dad is coming back up and it's all gone full circle – and then when you add in the fact that my ankle is still so sensitive and I've got just this month and a few weeks to try and get back in shape for the next expedition, I just-"

As she spoke, her words began flying out of her mouth at an impressively increasing speed, and Eld blinked and held his hands up in surrender, "Woah woah, Petra, easy there. You aren't blue balling me, so I don't need your fifty different reasons. I get it. It's a bad time and the military comes first."

Petra gave a sad nod, and as a silence fell between them, only slightly marred by Levi and Gunther's newest trip in and out of the room with the last of their collected baggage, Eld leaned toward her and spoke softly to ensure that his words weren't overheard by the rest of the still moving squad, "I get that things happen at their own pace with you two. Frankly, how the both of you go about your relationship makes no damn sense to me, but regardless, I can see that it's real and that both of you are trying to make it work. I don't know what happened between you with your fight or whatever, and based off your wording, I can only assume that he did something that hurt you. Maybe it's not my place, but if you're looking for advice, perhaps just…maybe cut the guy some slack, Petra? In the past, I've talked to him regarding how he handles his relationship with you, because at the time he was making mistakes and needed a push in the right direction, and now, I feel it's time I advocate on his behalf, because there's a few things you could stand to be reminded of."

Petra's eyebrows knit together in question, perhaps even in a hint of offense, and Eld continued undeterred, watching her directly with a serious stare, "Petra, you've got to remember that Levi…well, I'm pretty sure he's never been in a serious relationship before, and like it or not, he didn't want to get into one either – it just worked out that way. I know he's trying, and he's pushing himself the best way that he knows how; trying to shape himself into something that can perhaps make you happy, but he's going to make mistakes. He's going to doubt your feelings, and doubt what you see in him, and doubt his own self-worth, because no one has ever seen him in such a light before. He's going to want to push you away just as badly as he wants to keep you close to him, and the fact that he tries and still messes up is going to discourage him more than you could possibly imagine."

He paused and gave a shrug, "Like you've said yourself, Captain is good at a lot of things, and he's not used to failing – and especially not one of his own subordinates. I imagine he's crushed under the weight of his guilt more often than not, but because he cares about you and wants to be with you, he keeps trying just the same, even if in his mind he's bound to fail at every turn. Hell, at this point, I'd wager that he simply doesn't know how to not chase after you anymore. Frankly, you're probably the best thing that's ever happened to him, and he knows it, and is scared shitless because he doesn't want to lose you, but at the end of the day, he has no idea how to keep you either."

Eld paused and grabbed his coffee cup, shaking his head in quiet conviction as he spoke, "At the very least, I for one don't envy his position in the slightest, because with the military and your roles and all, well, you've made it really hard for him to know where he stands with you, and no doubt the distance just makes it all that much harder on him. He's probably going out of his mind trying to figure out how to be a man worthy of a woman like you, and when you push him away or don't acknowledge the effort he is showing, I'll bet he can't help but assume that he messed up and ruined it all. Levi is…well, he's pretty tough on himself and I think sometimes you forget just how critical he can be."

Hearing his words of correction, the wisdom and sincerity that Eld spoke with regarding the very heart of her Captain, Petra felt a sudden pricking of her emotions, and she had to swallow a few times because as Eld spoke, she found so much clarity and truth to his words – things she had never even thought of before- and it was almost enough to bring her to tears because she knew full well that…as usual…Eld was right.

Luckily, the blonde was too caught up in his own words to notice Petra's wavering resolve, and he gave a laugh, "I can say this; you're definitely not the only one that noticed the distance last month, Petra. We were all busy with training and duties and different squads to teach with hectic schedules of our own – all that to say that there were a few times I'd come back late in the night, like two or three in the morning, and Captain was asleep in the hallway, sitting right outside your bedroom door as though just the sheer knowledge that you were around put him at ease. In some ways, I think the distance was more hard on him. It couldn't have been easy, knowing you were hurting and overwhelmed with your recovery and new role – and knowing that for as close as you were, there was still nothing he could do to support you because he had a job of his own. He talked to me once about it actually; confided in me that he felt like a complete failure as a man, because when he was sick, he treated you terribly and you were still around. When you got hurt, he felt as though he had been forced to abandon you because he had his job to see to, and even now I don't think he's gotten over it."

Again, Petra found herself swallowing thickly, having to blink a number of times and intentionally looking down at the table in a way that would cause her hair to fall forward and shield her suddenly blurry eyes from a certain, way too observant and meticulous blonde. She hadn't known that – she hadn't known any of that. She hadn't known that Levi had been sleeping outside her door just because he felt the need to be close to her when all their time was spent apart for weeks on end. She hadn't known he had felt so guilty, or that he felt he had failed her because he was Humanity's Strongest – so of course he couldn't step away from his role just to watch over her.

Petra pressed her lips together and tried to take a collecting breath, although a slight hint of a sniffle left her instead, and she stiffened instantly, knowing that even that small sound would have given her away because Eld didn't miss those kinds of details, ever.

Looking up and finally noticing that his words had clearly made an impression on her, Eld gave a light chuckle and gave her a small nudge with his shoulder, "Hey now, I wasn't trying to make you cry or anything. I'm not saying the man's a saint by any means; he can be jealous and broody and an outright asshole because he can't see things outside of his own perspective and he's a stubborn prick to be sure. But even still, I can't help but feel a little compassionate for the guy and tell you to go easy on him, because his feelings are genuine, and I know he's trying hard to go outside his comfort zone for you. At the very least, if you can't let it go, then you should try to remember that this is his vacation too. Finding some time to kick back and have a bit of fun together…it's important. And I think you both need it after these last few months."

Watching Petra slowly think over his words, unfallen tears welling up in her eyes even now, Eld gave a sigh and shrugged lightly, "But that's just my opinion. Don't dwell on it for too long; for all I know, I'm just grasping at straws. Maybe Levi really is that bad. I mean, you of all people would know better than me, right? He's probably the absolute worst."

Before Petra could respond to his claims, some part of her knowing that Eld was now intentionally laying it on thick in attempts to goad her into some form of response, there was a voice that called out from a few feet away and grabbed her attention completely, "Oi, Petra. We're all set. You ready to go or..?"

It was Levi who was speaking to her, and Petra looked up from the table, turning at the sound of his voice and finally seeing her Captain. A sort of wonder fell over her as her eyes met his, and Petra wordlessly stood up from the ground and eventually walked toward him, a slowed caution in her steps as her mind continued to race with unresolved thoughts. As she moved across the floor, Levi looked out toward the door where both Oluo and Gunther were standing, nodding as he spoke lightly, "The town Erwin picked out is about six hours away, so we're not in any real rush per say, but the sooner we get there, the-"

His words were cut off mid-sentence, because Petra had kept walking until she was right in front of him, and without so much as a hint of warning, she had brought her hands up to the sides of his face, standing right up on her toes and pressing her lips against his in a searing, desperate and all-consuming kiss. Not satisfied by just their mere kiss alone, Petra pulled him lower to meet her, leaning her body against his and not even caring that the squad was standing right there and witnessing her obviously quite passionate display with a certain Commanding Officer. She moved her lips against his in determination; thankful and moved and compassionate and wanton all at once, thinking about everything Eld had said to her and knowing full well that his words about Levi were undeniably true. Even if the Captain hadn't verbalized it, even if he struggled with his feelings and knew nothing about how to keep and uphold a relationship with her, she knew he cared deeply, because his actions had always proved it. And now, after hearing Eld's account for how Levi had fared these past six weeks without her, some part of her simply couldn't help herself because her emotions were getting the best of her. Past her anger, past her embarrassment of being found out – gods, she just wanted to be close to him; to hear his heart race, feel his surprise and taste his desire.

The way Levi had watched her lately, his silent glances he would shoot her from across the training grounds if their paths even remotely crossed – it had often held an element of longing, of pure desire, as he would meet her eyes for only a moment, and then he'd look her up and down before swallowing thickly and shaking his head because in his wandering glance, he had obviously lost his focus. It was clear to her that she was an object of the Captain's interest and desire, and as much as that shocked her, she knew full well that it was only a matter of time now. Levi would approach her, and soon, and she knew instinctively that there was nothing she wouldn't give to him – no part of herself that she ever could deny him because she cared for him so profoundly. She enjoyed her time with him, she wanted to be close to him, and what was more…

She wanted this. Being intimate, getting to cross those boundaries with Levi - she didn't want to just 'appease' him – wanted to be with him, fully, in every possible way because she herself wanted and craved that intimacy just as badly.

Her own thoughts fueling her actions all the more, Petra ran her tongue along his newly parted lips ever so slightly, a mere trace of contact as she baited him purposefully, leaning into him even further and deepening her kiss as she felt Levi hesitantly return her actions, something that surprised her, his lips pressing against hers lightly and cautiously, as though uncertain if he were allowed to do such a thing or not. Whether it was because they were fighting, or because they were in front of the guys, she wasn't sure, but his timidness spoke to her none the less, almost making her heart ache because her Captain had always been so sure and confident before. She brought a hand around his neck and pulled him deeper still into her kiss, because yes he was welcome to kiss her and dammit, why had she ever pushed him away in the first place? Gods, she was so stupid sometimes.

It wasn't until Gunther gave a laugh and a 'Yeah girl, you show him who's boss.' followed by an additional low sigh from Oluo who grumbled something along the lines of 'Gods, we get it – you guys are married. Sheesh, stop being gross.' that Petra pulled back away from him. Apparently she had made quite an impression on the Captain, because as she fell back flatly onto her feet, her hands still framing the sides of his face as she tried to catch her breath, Petra almost gave a laugh outright when she looked up toward him and realized that Levi was blushing, and heavily so.

His mouth was still parted in surprise, his blue eyes wide and questioning, and his shoulders were heaving from a mix of astonishment and lack of breath as he looked down at her in silent bewilderment. Petra watched him for some time with a blush of her own, biting her lip as a sort of nervousness came over her after realizing the sheer boldness of her actions. By all accounts, her kiss had been far from an innocent little peck on the lips, and the fact she had pulled him toward her, wrapped her arms around his neck and forced herself against him, demanding his full attention in a way that guaranteed her success – and all in front of her own squad mates no less…

Petra cleared her throat and gave a nod, forcing a calmness into her voice that she didn't actually feel, because the more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she became because maybe she had gone a little overboard. She looked up toward Levi after taking a moment to collect herself, seeing his face become somehow redder still and she looked to the ground nervously.

Okay, maybe a lot overboard.

She nodded to the door, "Yeah, I'm ready to go, Captain. Thanks…for taking care of the luggage."

It was as she walked toward the door without any further lingering, that Levi forced air into his lungs, only somewhat registering the conversation that was happening around him as Petra walked away with her fellow teammates, as though she hadn't just kissed him like that a mere two seconds ago.

"You know Petra," Gunther gave a low laugh, "I helped with the luggage too. If you wanted to slam me against the wall like that, I certainly wouldn't be opposed. I mean, some of those bags were pretty heavy after all, and if that's the going reward, well, I know you're married and all, but I suppose I can suffer through it."

"Oh you liked that, did you? Tell you what Gunther, if Captain says it's okay, then you come back and find me."

"I'm just saying, one kiss from you and the man's all but catatonic. I've never seen him blush like that either, that's for damn sure. I'm curious Petra, are you that good of a kisser, or is Levi just that sheltered? I feel like we need an outsider's opinion to settle the score. What do you say?"

"Oh, are you feeling a little lonely over there, Gunther? If you need company that bad, I suppose I can make an exception and-"

"I'd sooner die than stoop down to your level, Oluo. Your lips are always chapped; it'd probably feel like I was making out with a cactus."

"That so? Well that's not what you said last night."

Any further conversation was lost on the still-dazed Captain, and eventually Levi looked up in a still prolonged stupor, unintentionally looking toward Eld as he tried to come to terms with the fact that Petra had…

Wow.

What had that been about?

Not allowing his mind to replay her actions because he was already having a hard-enough time trying to put it behind him, Levi swallowed thickly and gave a single shake of his head, trying to calm his still racing heart as he mentally debated what the hell had happened where Petra had apparently decided he was in her good graces again, to the extent that she kissed him like that, so passionately; so suddenly.

Fuck, he hadn't even seen it coming. One moment he had been talking to her about their traveling plans, and in the next, she had silenced him in a devastatingly effective manner; winding her body up against him and forcing her lips against his as though reminding him outright that she was, and would be, everything he had ever wanted. It was like she was making a point to show him that she was right there, right fucking there in his arms as though just waiting for him, and then she had kissed him for all she was worth - forgetting the squad, forgetting her manners, forgetting everything else that wasn't his lips and body, because apparently she had wanted to kiss the fuck out of him, and so she did, simple as that.

Levi found himself biting his lip in memory, still feeling her heated kiss and the brush of her tongue, the pull of her hands and the press of her body that had wordlessly promised more. An excited, electric surge seemed to run down his spine, and Levi gave a low sigh. Petra. She was such an unpredictable, alluring woman, and it seemed like such an unfair, double standard, because only a few days ago he had kissed her without warning, and she had pushed him away with such malice and betrayal he had legitimately felt guilty. Now she had randomly kissed him, in a time where he had no intention of doing such a thing because they had business to see to, and damn, it just wasn't fair, because he wasn't even mad, wasn't offended or irritated by her actions in the slightest.

No, just the opposite. Even now, all he wanted to do was chase after her, grab her by the wrist and force her into the nearest empty room to finish what she had started because it had just felt too damn good to stop right there and the fact that she had used her own body as bait to…he mentally groaned. Fuck, even now he didn't know what the hell she had wanted from him but damn, he had to admit that she certainly had his attention.

As Levi again tried to clear his mind, knowing that he would probably be stuck on that little stunt of hers for some time, he looked at Eld more clearly and the man's suddenly strange expression caught Levi's attention all the more. As Levi suddenly focused his undivided attention onto the grinning blonde, because there was an undeniable sparkle of mischief in the man's knowing eyes, that after a moment of their silent, wordless exchange, Levi began connecting the dots and realized that Petra had, perhaps, been put up to it. As Levi's eyes narrowed in silent accusation as though to confirm that…surely Eld didn't know anything about her strange behavior, right? - the blonde merely gave a sort of half smile at Levi's suspicious stare down, giving him an innocent shrug as though to say he obviously had no idea what had gotten into her because they had just been having a mere conversation over a cup of coffee and she went off the deep end.

Eventually Levi took a breath and crossed his arms, rolling his eyes and giving a dry snort.

…He really should have known.

"I suppose I owe you some pain, for meddling again." Eld gave a smirk at the Captain's remark, and Levi watched him flatly as he continued, "I don't know what you said to her, but it must have been some seriously sappy shit for her to act like that. I don't know if I should be impressed, or freaked the fuck out. You have a bad habit of intentionally yanking her around and manipulating her emotions, and now it seems you couldn't even let her stay mad at me. That was a bit reckless, don't you think? You don't even know what I did. Petra is an emotional woman, but perhaps her anger was….justified." Levi found a smirk on his lips as he moved across the room, and Eld stood up and nodded, a growing smile on his own face as he also walked toward the Captain proudly.

"Well I'm sure that whatever you did, you learned your lesson and won't intentionally repeat your mistakes. In some ways, I suppose I'm taking a gamble on you and trying to make it so you can start the trip off on the right foot with her. It's only fair that I warn you now, I've worked hard to push the two of you together, so I'd be pretty pissed if it ever got back to me that you treated her badly or broke her heart by being an asshole. I might just have to take a few swings at you when you got back, just to let some of my frustration loose."

Levi actually chuckled at the underlying threat to Eld's words, and his smirk widened all the more, "Oh? You're hardly in a position to best me, Eld."

Eld gave a laugh of his own and shrugged passively, "I'm not so sure about that. But to some extent, I suppose you can blame any of my shortcomings on my good for nothing Captain; he's just not that great of a teacher."

Levi merely nodded in amusement at the man's chiding, and as the two finally met in the center of the room, the Captain held his hand forward, "In that case Eld…I suppose you'll have to do a better job, while he's away."

As Eld grabbed Levi's hand and gave him a firm handshake, Levi's expression turned serious, "Do it, Eld. Take care of my squad while I'm gone. We have an Expedition coming up, and I'm counting on you to keep them strong and focused in my absence. They'll follow your lead, but you have to push them hard and keep them disciplined. I don't want you, or any of my men to die."

Eld nodded, "I swear it, Levi. We'll be ready."

At that, Levi was preparing to drop his hand, satisfied with their exchange, but as the Captain loosened his grip, Eld merely tugged him forward into a sort of hug, "Alright, c'mere you grump. It's gonna be a whole month that you'll be away and I'll miss seeing your ugly mug."

Levi was frozen in an instant, shocked by Eld's sudden embrace, and as he tried to recover, planning to clear his throat and say some halfhearted insult in return, Eld merely continued in a suddenly soft and serious manner, "And listen, as for Petra… Captain, I've always prided myself on watching out for her, but it seems she's grown up and found the man she really wants to stand by. And because of that I'm counting on you to protect her while she's back home. I know it's not your element, but you have to stand up for her, and guard her heart – because it's going to be bleeding and she won't know how to ask you for help along the way. Even still, you need to be her shield for when she can't stand up for herself, okay? She'll need your strength."

Levi made an uncomfortable sort of sound, clearing his throat as he gave Eld a slow, cautious sort of pat on the back in return. Thankfully Eld released his grip without much delay, and as he stood up more fully, Eld's still serious gaze fell on him, and Levi nodded again, "I'll be there Eld, for every step of the way. Petra will…I'll try."

The blonde smiled at the flustered expression on the Captain's face and he motioned toward the door with a nod of his head, "Alright, I'll hold you to that Captain. Now, go on and get out of here. Petra's outside waiting."

Levi also looked toward the door, a hesitant sort of smile coming to his face and he gave a wave over his shoulder as he turned and began to walk away. Watching his retreat, Eld gave a sort of laugh and called out warmly, "And Captain, for whatever it's worth, I hope you get lucky."

Levi paused in step, and it seemed Petra's kiss had put him in a remarkably good mood, because whereas Eld had been expecting a sort of scoff, or for Levi to flip him off over his shoulder, instead the Captain merely gave an amused shake of his head as he responded quietly, "You know what, Eld? …Me too."

The blonde gave another laugh at the Captain's honest answer, and once the Captain left the Compound and closed the door behind him, Eld sat back down at the table and finished his remaining coffee in one go.

It seemed he had some serious work to get done – that, and some serious bets to make.

…

End Of Chapter

…

*soft smile* Yeah, this is also another one of my favorite chapters. I know, I know, I say that every chapter, but in my humble opinion, this chapter is just such a sigh of relief. There's been a lot of angst, uncertainty, moodiness and a lot of needed character reflections from both Petra and Levi, so to have this chapter where it's a lot less introverted as a whole, and our characters are ALL represented and playing their roles in wishing Petra and the Captain a farewell.

*silent sob* But for me, to not have Eld in my back pocket for use of comic relief and just everything Eld, yall I don't know if I can last the four weeks without our blonde-haired instigator! *dramatic sniffing* But. I shall endure.

On the side, I said I'd try to give a shout out for when the next chapter of Vetitian will be up, so I wanted to give that head nod right quick. Let's plan for the 6th of May, and chapter two will be up and ready for yall.

Till then guys, thanks a million and have an awesome week!