Morning everyone and happy Sunday!

I spent a good chunk of time this week (as I will also do for another few weeks most likely) going back and editing the chapters, yes, starting all the way back in chapter one and moving forward bit by bit with a red pen. Mainly I'm focusing on those pesky formatting errors that slipped through, typos, things of that nature, but if something stands out to me that needs to be improved upon, I'm going ahead and making some adjustments as well. All that to say if you find yourself rereading and you suddenly wonder how in the world you ever missed that the first time around – its probably new and something that I felt needed to be rehashed or explained, or emphasized more intentionally. Obviously no major changes were made that changes any of the story's canon so don't stress about having to force yourself to reread – it's really just clean up more than anything else where most of it is the exact same, minus the missing spaces haha.

Anyhow, man, I love that yall are loving the new arc. I too had so much fun writing this section, and yeah, Eld really is bloody always right about everything. Yall know I love squad Levi, and I've always had a special place for Eld because he's such a down to earth prankster.

I'll strop rambling. Yall enjoy this chapter :)

…

…

"Oh my god." Petra stated in complete amazement, looking around their apparent hotel 'room' with her mouth agape, turning back toward Levi who had just entered the room a few moments after her, barely having taken even two steps inside the room before her frantic voice reached him.

"Captain! Captain, come look at this!" she called out loudly with sudden urgency, and there was an obvious note of concern in Levi's voice as he approached her quickly after some last minute shuffling.

"What? What is it?"

Levi's urgent expression was lost on her, as Petra was still turning every which way and looking around the large and spacious area because she just couldn't believe it.

Upon walking into the large, well-lit and beautifully decorated entry way, there was a large and spacious bathroom just to the left, a hallway with plush carpet and full length mirrors that led into a wide bedroom that had quite possibly the largest bed she had ever seen in her entire life, beyond that, crystal clear glass doors that led to a balcony, complete with a view of the city and nearby lake. To say the view and general aesthetic of the room was 'nice' was…vastly underplaying the elegance of the establishment, and Petra was certain that this kind of luxury was on a level she had never been exposed to before.

"This room!" Petra responded to Levi as she waved her hands in demonstration, still looking around in sheer disbelief, and once Levi realized that nothing was wrong, that she was still star struck after finally seeing the room Erwin had selected for them, he glared in annoyance and moved back toward the door where the bellhop was still stationed, irritated that he had been duped into thinking for even a moment that something had actually been wrong.

"Is everything to your liking, sir?" the younger man asked with a knowing smile, having witnessed Petra's multiple 'oohs' and 'ahhs' as they had been escorted to their room and clearly amused by her surprised animated reactions to everything, and Levi merely nodded with a still aggravated shake of his head.

"It's fine." He handed the kid a tip, because while this was clearly Petra's first time visiting a more high end establishment like this, it certainly wasn't his.

"Oh thank you sir. I've already arranged to have your luggage delivered in just a few moments, and I'd like to confirm your reservation for our luxurious and renowned three course breakfast tomorrow morning, courtesy of a Mr. Erwin Smith, for eight thirty?"

"Three courses? Of what? That's amazing!"

The younger man smiled at Petra's background commentary, and continued with a bemused chuckle, "Is that fitting for your schedule, or would something a little earlier, or perhaps something later, be preferred instead?"

"No, that's fine." Levi responded simply, and from behind him, from somewhere in the room, Petra's still excited, slightly muffled voice could be heard calling out to him yet again, "Levi, this walk-in closet is bigger than my whole bedroom! You kidding me? This is insane!"

This time, not even Levi could keep the smirk off his face, and he couldn't help but shake his head because with her clear excitement, it was impossible to stay irritated with her.

The bellhop gave a single laugh and continued, "Of course, dinner is just around the corner and I'm sure you are both hungry. You are welcome to dine in our lake side dining room; we have a full-service bar just left of the lobby, and we do have live musicians playing every weekend, so if you feel like dancing afterward, just follow the music and-"

"Oooh, dancing! I love dancing! Levi, that sounds like fun! Can we go later?"

"Not with that ankle, woman. No dancing." he called out over his shoulder, and once again, the bellhop found himself giving a single amused, but respectful, chortle after witnessing their guests' amusing antics.

"In that case, perhaps I should also make you aware of our twenty-four hour, five star room service – for our more reserved clientele that prefer a calm and serene night in, rather than the more fast-paced night life options."

"It's certainly more practical," Levi nodded toward the young man, "so I'm sure we'll make use of it."

"Boo, Captain. You're no fun. Room service indeed."

"Behave woman."

The bellhop's smile twitched with amusement, "We make frequent rounds each hour to ensure your requests are met as quickly as possible, so should you decide that you want anything, you'll find a full menu, drink selection, and other guest services we proudly provide, listed on top of the desk. Merely write down what you wish, stick it outside your door, and a staff member such as myself will collect it and prepare your demands as soon as possible."

"Thank you." Levi said simply, and again the young man nodded.

"My pleasure. Please enjoy your stay!"

Levi closed the door with a nod, walking down the ornate hallway and into the main area of the room - finding Petra, still buzzing around the area and grinning ear to ear.

Somewhat paying her no mind, Levi kept moving, walking around the large area intentionally and inspecting it room by room for any concerning signs of improper cleaning or anything else he found to be disagreeable. In truth he wasn't expecting he would actually find anything incriminating, as this was far from the Captain's first stay at this particular hotel – Erwin certainly had his favorites to be sure – and all of their previous experiences had always been admittedly top notch.

It wasn't until a good ten minutes later, after their luggage had arrived and the new bellhop had moved their bags into the spacious walk-in closet - also receiving a handsome tip for his services - that Petra finally seemed to have returned to her senses after walking through the various areas and dramatically calling out her findings one more time (the large spa style tub, the dual sinks in the bathroom, and the walk out balcony with a lakeside view were all particularly noteworthy so it seemed) and after commentating on almost every inch of the vast room, Petra eventually gave an exhausted plop onto one side of the bed – although the large smile never left her face completely.

As she laid across the top of the extraordinarily large bed, she looked over toward her left, toward where Levi was sitting on the opposite end of the mattress, and she gave a loud sigh as a way to grab his attention. He looked toward her with a quirked eyebrow, and she beamed, "Captain, this is really nice. I'm curious, do you guys always stay in places like this when you travel? This is the life!"

The Captain gave a shrug and looked into the pamphlet he had previously busied himself with, folding the provided brochure and speaking as he began reading the menu over, "Not always. Back when I first began traveling with leadership, Erwin wasn't particularly selective and selected establishments that favored the ease of location more than service or quality. It wasn't always bad, but there were a few times that I found his selection to be unlivable, and in hindsight he probably got tired of me complaining about it."

Petra gave an amused hum and looked around the room once again, "Well this is just insane to me. I've never stayed at a place even half as nice as this, and I gotta say…" she rolled her shoulders back into the bed, stretching out across the mattress as she buried herself into the plush bedding, "I feel this life really suits me. How about we just stay here for the four weeks and blow off seeing my dad altogether? I could get used to staying in a place like this." As Petra continued to burrow further into the plush blankets, the Captain watched her for a long moment, amused by her obvious enjoyment of their…. admittedly nice surroundings.

"Right." he gave her a passing glance and shook his head, "Sorry to burst your bubble Petra, but you couldn't afford it."

She gave a laugh and looked over toward him in challenge, "Oh right, and like you could?"

When Levi merely held her gaze and shrugged, the smallest of smirks coming to his lips as he watched her, because while he would neither confirm nor deny her statement, of course he could, and Petra's mouth dropped open as she groaned loudly, "Damn it Captain, for real? Gods, I need a raise!"

Levi gave a dry laugh at her reaction and looked back into his brochure as he mumbled warmly, "Well. All in good time, Petra."

He focused back into the menu, looking it over and attempting to decide what he wanted to order, and Petra's almost mystified question grabbed his attention after a prolonged and building silence.

"…Captain, what did you say?"

Levi allowed his expression to turn intentionally pensive as he looked into the paper with a newly focused expression, conveniently avoiding Petra's increasingly direct stare, "You know, I'm pretty hungry after riding all day. We didn't stop for lunch and I'm starting to regret it. I think I'm going to put an order in – their stuff is usually pretty good here."

As the Captain made a point of 'not seeing' her, Petra sat back up onto the bed as she prepared to crawl over toward him, and she watched him with a hint of a growing and hopeful smile, leaning toward him all the more as she attempted to catch his eye more directly, "Captain, you said that I'm getting a raise? For real?"

"You know, I actually had their chicken penne the last time I was here. I'm not really a fan of traditional pasta dishes, but I'll admit it was pretty good. I think Erwin had the house soup in a bread bowl, or something like that? It looked pretty good so I may go with that this time around. You should think about what you want to order, I know you're hungry too."

"Levi – my raise!" Petra whined as she moved toward him directly, an excited smile on her lips as she tried to pry the information out of him, "Come on, do you know how much? Has that been sent back to you yet? You know, assuming I made no changes and stayed on your squad for the next year I mean – has that all been calculated out? It's got to be, otherwise you wouldn't be taunting me like this! Come on, tell me! It's not something piddly right? It can't be. No doubt you'd bring it up like this if it were an insulting amount that would only upset me. Is it a five percent raise? Eight percent? Somewhere between there, maybe? More? Like….ten percent? There's no way."

As Petra continued to inch herself closer and closer toward the Ackerman who was suddenly very interested in the pamphlet he was busying himself with, Petra found herself all but crawling right in front of him, slowly and deliberately peering up over the edge of the paper to stare down at him.

"Captain…" She plucked the paper out of his hand with a quick swipe, giving an amused roll of her eyes when Levi smirked at her in amusement because he was obviously toying with her, "Is there something you're not telling me? Come on! No one's going to know if you tell me early so what's the harm? I swear I'll act surprised later."

He gave a shake of his head and held up his hands in surrender as Petra crossed her arms expectantly, as though she were prepared to sit there all night if it came down to it, and Levi sighed in defeat, "Alright, alright woman. If you must know..."

Petra beamed and scooched toward him ever so slightly, and Levi gave a long-suffering sigh as he watched her with a more serious stare, taking a full breath before finally speaking, "Hanji once told me that their chocolate cake was to die for."

Petra scoffed as a disbelieving groan left her, "What, no! Captain! That's not-" Petra paused midsentence and blinked, her expression changing as she mentally replayed his words, "Wait, are you serious? Did she really say that?"

Levi gave an honest nod, barely able to bite back a smirk as he motioned toward the paper with a casual tilt of his head, "Yes, actually. Details are on the back page, if you wanted to take a look for yourself. I distinctly remember Hanji saying it was the best cake she had ever had in her life, and I know because she continued to talk about it for twenty minutes straight and after that I told her to shut the hell up because no one actually cared."

Petra eyed him narrowly, knowing full well what he was up to, but even still, she simply couldn't deny her perked interest after the mention of a certain weakness of hers. She was perhaps feeling a little on the indulgent side considering they were officially on vacation, so maybe such a splurge of pure decadence was in order after all she had been through during the past few months. She read over the description of a rather luxurious sounding, triple layered chocolate mousse cake, and before she could so much as comment, there was an amused snort from the Captain, who had watched her eyes light up all the more with every word she read.

Using her momentary distraction to his advantage, Levi stood up from the bed and spoke over his shoulder as he walked toward the desk at the other end of the room, "Oi, I'll go ahead and place that on the order for you, but take a look at the rest of the menu because you're not eating a mere slice of cake for dinner."

Petra grumbled, noting begrudgingly that Levi had managed to successfully slide away so easily, and the Captain's expression sobered as he gave her a serious nod, "What do you want?"

Petra gave him a narrowed gaze that confirmed she wasn't pleased by his bait and switch routine, but flipped through the pages none the less with focus and resolve, because yes, she was also quite hungry after a full day of riding. Eventually she set the pamphlet down and allowed herself to fall back into the bed again, "The chicken dish is fine with me. Whatever you got that last time is fine, I trust your judgment."

As Levi quietly wrote down the details of their order and placed it outside the door as requested, Petra waited until she heard the door close and she spoke, "So I know that maybe this should be a question that I actually have the answer to, all things considered, but to be honest with you I'm just kind of winging this whole thing so…what are these next four weeks actually going to look like? I know that the goal is for me to get home and make peace with my father, but I want to make sure that I'm not just jerking you around and telling you where to go each day. Do you have any plans, Captain?"

With where Petra was laying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling as she spoke, she could hear Levi move back across the room and the eventual shifting of furniture – he had likely taken a seat on one of the ornate chairs that were placed in almost every corner of the room – and he responded, "Not technically. Obviously tonight, and the next two evenings we'll be on the road. That fourth night I assume we'll be back at your dad's place and getting settled in there, but if the traveling goes slower than anticipated, we can just find a hotel along the way and get there the following morning or whatever."

There was a slight creaking, likely Levi repositioning himself or something, and after a moment he continued, "Either way once we get to your old man's place we can stay there however long you see fit. Obviously, we'll need to leave ourselves enough time to travel back to Headquarters, but like Erwin predicted, I'm guessing we'll be there a little over two and a half weeks, give or take."

Petra gave a quiet nod, and Levi spoke further, "While I don't have any technical plans, I should make you aware from the start that I don't really intend on just sitting at your dad's house with nothing to do other than watch paint dry for weeks on end. Considering we have an Expedition coming up, I need to keep my skills sharp, and there's also your ankle to consider. If at all possible, I would like to start training you back up while we're there, and as for my personal training, Erwin worked something out with Pixis before we left."

"Pixis? For your training?" Petra repeated in question, turning her head toward the direction of Levi's voice, and catching her questioning stare, Levi nodded.

"Yeah. The Garrison apparently has an outpost stationed not too far from your dad's place – apparently like five or so miles outside the city, and so I'll plan on going there pretty frequently to train. I don't want you to get the wrong idea, I am on vacation so I'll never be required to go. If things come up where I'm needed at the house or we're going out as a group or whatever, it won't be a problem. It's just for the days where we aren't doing anything, or where time is better spent between you and your father without my getting involved, there's a place I can be that has the resources and tools I need for me to keep loose and stay focused. Vacation or not, I can't really afford to sit idle for four straight weeks."

At the mention of having some bit of access to military resources, Petra's eyes lit up and a small smile painted her lips, "You know Captain, if we are trying to start that rehabilitation process…it's been a long time since I've gotten to use my 3DM gear. Any shot I might be able to join you, even if it's just once, while you're training over there? At the very least, it would be cool to see how the Garrison runs their troops differently than the Scouts do. I think I'd rather enjoy seeing that in fact."

Levi gave her a flat, blank expression and shook his head, "Sorry, but no. You clearly aren't ready for that kind of strain just yet, and what's more, Erwin specifically requested that I not allow you to step foot on their grounds because he doesn't want anyone to approach you or start making deals or job offers without his say so."

Petra made a face, as though to quietly say that Erwin was being a little too cautious on that front, and Levi smirked at her innocence at what was in fact a rather sound judgment call, "Think what you will, but with the fact I'll be using their facilities, the Garrison's leadership knows full well that you'll also be around, and I wouldn't put it past Pixis to try and talk to you about some 'future exciting career opportunities' the second that they have you alone. Not that it matters, but part of the arrangement is that they'll want me to lead some training regarding how to implement your material, in exchange for the frequent use of their grounds; nothing comes for free after all. Either way, you step foot on their campus, and you can bet they'll put you to immediate use, considering the whole thing's been your little pet project from the start."

Petra gave an unsatisfied, but accepting nod, and eventually as a silence came over the room, she sat up from the bed and gave him a long stare from where he was seated, "Alright, well if anything really jumps out at you, or maybe something comes up that you want to do, don't feel like you can't say anything or that you'll hurt my feelings if you want to go and do your own thing for a few days or whatever. Eld reminded me this morning that, while yes, this is all a huge favor to me and I really, honestly appreciate your being here, the fact of the matter is this is your vacation just as much as it is mine. I want to respect that fact and make sure that…maybe you still have a decent time, I guess. Family drama or not, how often do either of us get to do things like this?" she motioned around the room with a wave of her hand, and her expression softened as she looked toward Levi more completely with a shy smile, "I'm honestly really looking forward to spending some time with you, Captain. I'm so happy you decided to come home with me."

Hearing her words, Levi kept his expression relatively blank and instead stood up from his chair as he moved to stand in front of her directly. His voice was soft as he watched her with a single raised brow, "Speaking of this morning Petra, that was quite a stunt you pulled, don't you think? Slamming me up against the wall and forcing yourself on me in front of the whole squad - Such a shameless woman."

Petra found her heart giving a nervous thump inside of her chest, but regardless her perhaps admitted nervousness, she found a small smirk pulling at her lips as she remembered Levi blushing so heavily, remembered the look across his face of pure shock, the way he had been so completely speechless, to where she had just walked out with her team because it was obvious he needed a moment to collect himself.

Levi looked down at her, his expression falling to something a little more pensive, and he took a breath, "You mentioned Eld a bit ago, and I happen to know full well that he has the uncanny ability to mess with your head at the worst of times. I'm pretty confident that your little assault was nothing more than Eld manipulating you again, and you've got me curious as to what nonsense he filled your head with because that was really something. You gonna tell me what he told you?"

Petra smiled at his insightful words, somehow not surprised to hear that Levi had connected the dots, and she looked up toward him with a sigh, "What Eld said to me while you were all packing up over coffee? Not much Captain. Just…just that you're a good man. Nothing I didn't already know."

The Captain's eyes narrowed in disbelief, not sure what Eld might have said to her, but certain that Petra was purposefully glossing over the details. Seeing his expression, she rolled her eyes and shrugged, "Listen Captain, regarding Eld this morning - I think you should know that I don't feel manipulated, I feel more…compassionate, I suppose. And I know that makes it sound worse, or that I'm pitying you – but don't take it like that. All Eld really did this morning was give me the needed reminder that just because things aren't happening the way I would expect them to, where our relationship doesn't look any specific way I would have envisioned…well, it doesn't mean it's not happening at all. I know you care for me, in whatever way that looks like to you, and I want to tell you now that…that I know I need to be careful in my expectations of what our arrangement should look like. I can't make you feel, nor express things, how I want. It seems obvious when I say it out loud, but sometimes, I kind of honestly forget that, so to some extent I owe you an apology."

Her expression turned more reflective and she looked down into the floor, shaking her head as she spoke, "To make you feel less than, or inadequate because of my own expectations…frankly, that's just sheer manipulation when you get right down to it. I've never really been the manipulative type in the first place – honestly I'm not even sure how to go about trying to manipulate someone like you anyway – but assuming I even could do such a thing intentionally…please understand that's not what I'm after here. Whether we're friends, or lovers, married only on paper, or somewhere in between – at this point what matters most to me; I'll only want it, if it's sincere."

Levi's expression was equally serious as he mentally accepted her words and graciousness, and a long silence fell between them. Eventually, Petra looked back toward him simply, and Levi took a breath, "The letters. Tell me Petra, are you still mad at me?"

Petra was still sitting at the edge of the bed, blinking at his sudden and straightforward question and she gave a quick, defensive shake of her head as he continued to watch her expectantly, "Mad? I wouldn't say mad Captain, I'm really over-" she looked up and saw his wordless, 'bullshit.' expression, and she hung her head in dismay, "Maybe a little. It's just…in a strange way, I felt that I had been sold out I guess. Job or not, it's irritating that you got to know so much about me; things I honestly had no intention of saying to you just yet, with no way of me explaining or adjusting my words for a better, less intense approach because you had already read everything so my hands were tied. I don't want to overwhelm you, or be weird or clingy, or be viewed as a mere fan girl no less. Had I chosen the time or place; I hope you know I would have done things pretty differently."

She took a large breath and almost whispered, "If you pressed me, I think what I'm worried about most of all is that maybe…I might have scared you off. Reading things like that, I'm sure it was bordering that line of being too intense, and I'm not really sure how I am supposed to recover at this point. I've always tried very hard to not push you or assume you feel one way or another. I know you don't want a relationship or to be tied down and forced to settle or whatever, and I just…it's not that I want that for you either, but I just…"

Another long silence fell over the pair, and when it became clear that even Petra herself was at a loss for words, Levi sighed, "Okay, so help me understand - are you trying to say that you're afraid that I might…distance myself from you or something, because now I know how you feel? You realize I've known for a while now, right? If that were true, you would have seen that already taking place two months ago."

She gave a shrug, somewhat refusing to look at him, and she mumbled, "I'm not saying I'm right, or that it's not a direct result of my own insecurities. I'm just telling you…that that's what I'm afraid of, yes. You know I don't think that I'm…well, enough for you, and after reading everything I said to my father, I'm afraid you're going to realize that being with me is…settling. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually you'll wake up and remember that you never really wanted this in the first place. Now granted, if that's what happens then I'll make the best of it. I mean, I'll have to right? I'm an adult and I've seen heartbreak before so…"

Levi watched her for a long moment, surprised to hear such words from Petra, surprised to know that his own feelings of being insufficient were apparently shared mutually between them, and he sighed because like always, it seemed Petra was vastly unaware of her own worth.

"You don't have to worry about that. If anything, Petra…" He took a breath and looked to one side, somewhat intentionally looking away from her because he didn't want her expression to derail his thoughts, "Regarding what you said about, you know, the way you felt about me specifically, and the way you felt about our marriage..."

He heard her shift on the bed slightly, and he continued in a focused and serious whisper, "I'm not sorry for following orders. You know full well that there are things that come with the job that you may not always agree with, and that much isn't going to change. What's more, I couldn't have ever known that you were planning on saying such things to your father in any of those letters, so it's not like I was looking to dig into your personal life or anything."

Levi licked his lips and tried to collect his thoughts, "But still. Even if it was unfair, or even if you didn't want me to know – fact of the matter is, I do. The letters spelled it out word for word, and you confirmed it verbally in that conversation we had right after. I know that you care about me, and that you want a relationship with me, and that things have changed between us where it's impossible to just ignore it anymore. I know you want to be my wife, for real, and that you want to have a future by my side."

At his words, Petra had stiffened, feeling as though her blood had stopped pumping through her veins because for Levi to say it out loud, to address it head on like this – she was nervous. Beyond nervous. They needed to have this conversation, she knew that, and she herself had called him out only days before for not having the guts to sit down and talk with her like this. She had spoken so confidently then, certain that if Levi would open up to her it would make things better for the both of them, but now that the moment was here, she admittedly felt like running away.

What if he was about to tell her that he couldn't return her feelings? Or that he just 'wanted to stay friends' or something cliché like that? Some part of her was afraid, almost too afraid to hear his words, because she had always known that he was unobtainable; that he was in a league of his own that had always been, and would always be far out of her reach.

To be rejected by Levi…

Now, after all this time…

Petra knew doubtlessly that it would break her heart – shatter it beyond repair – in a way she had never experienced before, and she found herself stuttering as she knotted the blanket in her hands. Yes, she had lived through some hard things, some very hard things, so she knew she could handle being alone if it came down to it. It was just…

She just didn't want Levi to see her fall apart – to see the extent of her heartbreak after getting in too deep.

She tried to keep her voice light, and mentally cursed the tremble in her voice as she continued fisting the blanket in her hands nervously, "We don't need to do this right now Levi, I'll be alri-"

"Petra." Levi cut her off irritably, leaning down slightly to place a finger over her lips because sometimes…she just talked too damn much.

He looked at her seriously, uncertain why there were tears in her eyes because surely he hadn't said anything that warranted such a reaction, and he returned her wide-eyed stare flatly, "Being with you, spending time with you and learning you; I don't hate it."

As her expression changed, Levi watched the sudden intensity building in her green orbs and he continued, "I know that we haven't really sat down like this before and just talked it out – and to your point, I should have said something but…" he shook his head and watched her critically, "You can't tell me you're naïve enough to not notice that I have chased after you, and returned your affection, and attention and-"

Levi swallowed thickly, feeling as though his words were literally getting stuck in his throat, and he took another large breath and exhaled in temporary defeat. He stared at her for a long moment, tracing his fingers down the side of her face, then back up as he found himself weaving his hand through her hair gently.

Fuck, she was so damn beautiful.

It was baffling to him, and it always would be, what the hell she saw in someone like him.

He leaned closer toward her, just enough to make direct eye contact and he held her gaze with conviction, "Petra, there may be a lot that I don't know concerning how to make a relationship work between us, and a lot of valid questions that you have that I still don't know the answer to but…I do know this: I want you by my side. If it makes you happy; if being close to me means something to you and you found that you want to be there, then shit, by all means you can-"

His words ended abruptly yet again, but this time, it was because of Petra. She had sat up just slightly from the bed, and pressed her lips against his with a light and ardent touch, her hands already around his neck as she sat back into the bed and pulled him lower toward her with the lightest pull of her fingers.

With her lips tenderly, ever so gently pressing against his, Levi could only lean forward into her, entranced thoroughly by her gentle actions and desperate for her kiss because after their schedules had been so opposing for so long, after upsetting her and causing her even more pain – his body craved her acceptance; some part of him needing to feel her forgiveness and touch all around him because he felt as though he failed her so often, felt that she was too fucking good for him. It's not that he doubted her sincerity, but to feel her like this, to have her in his arms and see her desire him so simply after spending so much time apart; he supposed it gave him some desperately needed reassurance.

He returned her kiss with a relieved and desperate sigh, and after a few tender and hesitant kisses shared between them, Petra moved slowly back down toward the bed, until she was sitting in her previous position. However, much to Levi's surprise, she didn't stop there. Petra continued to gently lean back all the more, beckoning him to follow after her as her fingers pulled at the collar of his shirt – an invisible bond that may as well have been a heavy and weighted chain between them, for it was just as strong and binding. As she summoned him to follow, her other hand against the side of his face as she lengthened her neck to kiss him more fully, she encouraged his obedience with deeper, more sensual kisses. She opened her mouth to allow him greater access, only enticing him all the more as he adjusted his position and leaned down toward her. He pulled a single knee up onto the bed as he followed after her, struggling to meet her gentle and feather light kiss that was gradually retreating away inch by inch even now. When that wasn't enough, the angle between them strained and difficult as Petra fell back into the bed completely, his other leg soon followed, and he continued to place himself closer toward her until he was straddling her outright. His knees were framing the sides of her hips, locking her in place, his one hand over the surface of the bed near her shoulder, and the other was wrapped around the back of her neck as though fearing she would continue to pull away from him even now.

He pressed his lips against hers more firmly, leaning down all the more until his chest was pressed up against hers, somewhat pushing her down into the bed with his frame and giving a number of light, flurried kisses over her lips because gods, he just couldn't help himself.

It was only when she stopped returning his kiss, that Levi opened his eyes in concern, admittedly greatly enjoying himself and not wanting this moment to come to an end so soon, because fuck she knew how to get to him so easily, but the breath caught in his lungs once he noticed the expression Petra was watching him with. Her lips were parted, a blush over her cheeks from their intimate placement; her laying down, intentionally relaxed across the bed in a submissive, trusting fashion, where he was positioned right on top of her, his own body up against hers as he leaned down to meet her kiss with earnest and desire. Before he could so much as take a breath, Petra gave him a beautiful, shy smile.

"I've missed you, Levi." She said in a whisper, her breath caressing his face as she spoke, for they were that close. "I've missed talking to you like this, and hearing your thoughts, and getting to live my life alongside yours. I've missed this too. I miss feeling your touch, and feeling the way you kiss me. Gods, you're so fucking good at it." He didn't say anything, though there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that confirmed he clearly enjoyed her praise, and Petra continued, "I know the military comes first, and I can't say I regret what happened last month, but it doesn't change the fact that…I'm just much happier with you. I don't like it when we're far away for so long. It's hard."

Levi found that he understood her words perfectly, because he was in the same position, in the same relationship, where the strain and pull was felt by both of them and the distance only heightened the agitation felt between them. He gave her a single nod, a lopsided smile coming to his lips, and Petra smiled all the more, pushing her neck up slightly and kissing him again with a sincerity and gentleness that continued to calm his nerves like a healing balm to his very spirit. Her actions, the way she kissed him – Levi knew full well that this was not the right time for him to try and lay claim to her; to kiss her with a sudden intensity and let his hands fall where they may as he attempted to create an opportunity between them, simply because they were finally alone and together like this.

Levi found that as she kissed him, her gentle and innocent actions repetitively calmed his anxious nerves like whispering waves caressing a shoreline, and he was perfectly content to accept this moment for what it was. In truth, he knew he could have her whenever he wanted. Petra would allow him to be with her, he simply knew it to be true, if only because she cared for him and would see no reason to withhold such a thing from him any longer.

He would have her, and soon. Perhaps this very night, or some other time on their trip, or maybe not until they were back at Headquarters and their lives returned to normal. He couldn't be certain of when the moment might feel right for them, but at the very least, he knew…not this moment, because it was already too good and too special to mess up with something like impatience or greed. No, Petra was choosing to forgive him after he had hurt her yet again, choosing to open herself up and remain vulnerable to him in a time where she had every right to distance herself from him instead. Her forgiveness, her kindness, every little thing that touched his heart and made him dare to be a better man for her, it was thrilling and intoxicating, often leaving him breathless and terrified all at once.

Every little spark, every shy glance and tender moment - all brand new for him. All his moments with Petra – they were all new and special because he had never had someone to call his own before. It was strange, but being with Petra these last few months, it almost reminded him of his final moments just before his very first expedition outside of the Walls.

He had felt drastically unprepared. Anxiousness heavy enough to suffocate. Innumerable Questions. Endless Doubt. Heated moments of desperation, anger; all out panic because of the unknown.

And then…freedom. Freedom so vast it was like he was unraveling because there was finally room to do so. Freedom he somewhat knew he had always been meant to feel, but had never quite been able to grasp onto, no, not until it had been forced upon him as though by fate itself.

As Petra gave a light sound, a sweet and delicate exhale that matched her equally sweet and delicate affections, Levi couldn't help the smile that pulled at his lips, because he supposed…well, it was rather fucking ironic.

The experience. The adventure and the unknown.

Yes, he had loved every second of it back then too.

…

End of Chapter

...

Man, not sure what I can or should say here. It's just a good moment.

As always guys, thanks so very much for your support in just…everything. I have grown so much as a writer in the past year, and so many people have been cheering me on and it's just very touching. Happy Sunday, and for those follow Vetitian, I'll see you on Wednesday! Thanks guys :D

~Mid