Petra was sitting with Nifa on the couch.

"Let's meet after work." was the only thing Rico said to her after she ended her discussion with Levi.

She was confused and curious at the time. At one point during the day she wanted to ask Levi what was all that about, but he was too occupied by some other things, that she didn't feel like bothering him with it now would be suitable. The fact that he didn't look too pleased at the first sight of Rico made Petra realize that it would be better to test the waters first, before telling him how close she was with her.

Now, with her already being here, she didn't quite know how to start the topic, since Nifa was demanding all her attention; showing her photo inspiration of what could've been Petra's new bedroom.

Rico joined them and sat by her girlfriend's side, turning to their guest.

The peachy-haired woman took her chance and took her eyes off the screen of Nifa's phone.

"So? How was it? The talk?" She asked, sounding a bit too interested than she'd intended.

She was met with one small smile and a confused look when they both looked at her.

"Impatient, aren't you?" The blonde responded and made herself more comfortable in her seat. She was in her casual clothes already.

"You can't blame me!" Petra responded quickly, smiling embarrassed.

"We discussed my tattoo project."

"And?"

"And he agreed to do it for me."

"I mean, tell me how you got to know each other." She huffed, losing patience and aware of the fact that her friend was messing with her.

Rico let out a sigh.

"I met him in the university around two years ago."

"The military university?" Petra asked, raising her voice. Nifa patted her head, thinking that it was cute.

"Yes. He just enrolled, and I was helping with the newbies. He was such a pain in the ass. Good grades are not enough to pass, and they gave him an ultimatum, so he left." Rico explained.

"They had something like a friendly rivalry." said Nifa, revealing that they had already discussed it beforehand.

Petra was at loss of words because it really wasn't what she'd expected to hear. It was so weird to imagine Levi in the army, she'd rather believe that they used to see each other.

"I wouldn't call it friendly. People were comparing us because of our…height." The blonde averted her eyes, a slight frown appearing between her eyebrows.

"So…you used to…fight each other?" Petra asked, having a hard time visualizing it.

"Literally, yes. We were too similar to be friends, you know." She said slowly and looked at her friend. "That's why I think it's ridiculous you fell for him and not me."

"Rico, you're taken!"

"Polygamy exist."

This time it was Rico who earned a pat on the head from Nifa, but it wasn't as delicate. Despite it all, her girlfriend was laughing.


A week passed quickly without any major events. Petra decided to keep the news she got from Rico to herself, yet she couldn't stop imagining how he would look in the military clothes. Moreover, how in hell did he survive all the dirt that was an inevitable part of such training? She decided that if the topic will ever come out, she will have to ask.

Rico suggested she should be conscious of his temperament. It was a bit hurtful to think this way, but she understood that it was simply because she cared for her deeply. She tried to think of any alarming situations between her and Levi but nothing came to her mind. Maybe aside from him breaking into her house.


When Levi came down the stairs and saw all of his workers still sitting there, he knew something was not right. It was already past 6PM, and usually, they'd be long gone. He was cautious.

Petra stood up quickly at the sight of him, and he already knew what was going on. His frown deepened. She seemed so happy, opening her mouth to say something, but he stopped her by raising his hand.

He averted his eyes to look at the others.

"Didn't I tell you to not do anything for my birthday?"

"It was Petra's idea!" Said Oluo in their defense, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Yes!" She admitted quickly, approaching him. "They told me you're not celebrating it, but… I wanted to make this day happier for you. And, before you will say anything, we also invited your other friends."

He was looking at her, not too eager and excited about the idea. If it were anyone else, he would snap, but with her, he couldn't. Not when she was looking at him with this cheerful look of hers.

"Who?" he asked instead of reprimanding her, which caused the other to sigh with relief.

"I reached out to Isabel and Farlan, Hange will be there too, and they've said that they'll try to bring others with them."

Levi closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. He should be angry at her for doing that, but somehow he wasn't.

"What a torment…" He sighed.

Petra's excitement started to fade at the sight of his expression.

"Do you…want us to cancel it?"

"No, I'll go change. Where are we going?" He asked with his trademark tired tone.


The night wasn't as bad as he'd assumed.

The bar wasn't as full as it was the middle of the week, but there were enough people that they didn't end up being the center of attention, even with someone as loud as Hange.

A weird feeling of appreciation fell down on him as he looked at the people sitting with him. Aside from the one he was informed about, Nanaba and Mike were also there. Erwin couldn't make it due to his internship hours. They all seemed to go along well, which let him stay quiet when he preferred. Listening to their heated conversations and sipping his birthday vodka was enough for him to consider the night enjoyable.

A few times he caught Petra's eyes, but she tried to avoid his gaze every time.

Until she didn't.

She smiled at him biting her lips and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe.

"I'm gonna go for a smoke," He announced to everyone, as he shifted his glance away from her.

"I'll go too, I need some fresh air." Petra said standing up, hoping that her pink cheeks were not visible in the dim light of the club.

Farlan stretched out his arms and stood up as well. "Same." He said to her surprise, which made her take a quick look at Levi. She regretted it, seeing that he was already passing her. What was she about to do anyway? She shook her head, following the dark-haired man.

"Wow, you're a human tomato. How much did you drink?" Farlan commented on her state when they got out and the streetlights lightened their faces.

She furrowed her eyebrows, smiling angrily at him.

"Not that much! It's just crazy hot in there." she excused herself.

Levi looked at both of them from the corner of his eye. Cigarettes already out, he issued a wordless invitation for them to smoke with him.

He ended up smoking alone, as both of them refused.

"So… How did you guys get to know each other?" Petra asked first and had to raise her head to look at the blonde one. Her neck already hurt from being around all those tall people.

There was a short pause, Levi was silent.

"We ran away from the same orphanage." Farlan responded, smiling to her.

She raised her eyebrows and looked at Levi, expecting him to scold him for saying it just like that, but he wasn't even looking at them.

"We're a family, but a fucked up one."

"But… I thought…" She wasn't sure if she should comment on that, but the cold air wasn't making her sober enough to worry that much.

"What did you think?" Levi's low voice finally joined the conversation as he stepped closer to them.

Petra turned her head to him.

"I thought you have a family here, right? Isn't Mikasa your cousin?"

"She is. But I met this part of the family when I had moved into the city." he answered and exchanged glances with Farlan, who left it without a comment.

"And how about you two?" He asked instead, putting a smile back on his face.

"Are you serious? She works at my parlor." Levi huffed, which made a big cloud of smoke get out of his nose.

Petra laughed lightly, but it changed into coughing, so she covered her mouth and looked away.

A moment after that Levi noticed a change in her expression. He followed her eyes and saw a bunch of people entering the bar. When he looked back at her, the unsure expression from her face was gone.


When they went back, everyone switched their seats, so she took her chance and sat beside Levi.

"How old are you, actually?" she asked after a while of listening to the others. She leaned in his direction, so he would hear her clearly even with all the noise of that place.

Hange was quick to interrupt.

"Twenty nine! Just a year before your midlife crisis!" They laughed.

"Shut up, four eyes. You're the same."

"Right! That's why I'm enjoying my last years of youth to the fullest." They announced dramatically, which made Petra and few others laugh. Without thinking much, she placed her hand atop of his own.

"I don't think it works like that." she said, giving him a needless assurance.

He was too fixated on her touch to respond, and she took her hand away before he said anything. She didn't seem to pay much attention to that. It was when he realized she was already a few drinks ahead of them.

At this moment, he wished they could be alone here. This tension was starting to make him crazy. Maybe if they could talk about it outright, they'd find some resolution. He preferred to keep such things private. It was definitely easier to let himself think about it when there was alcohol involved.

"I will be right back." He said excusing himself, not letting anyone join him this time around. He needed to clear his mind because the presence of the woman on his side was too absorbing.

On his way to the back door, he didn't even realize he was being followed.


Cold wind snatched him back to reality. He let out a sigh.

Things seemed right, there was no point in ruining it by letting Petra involve herself with him. He took out his phone and deleted all the notifications full of birthday wishes from the people he didn't care about.

The phone fell out of his hand and ended up a few feet away when someone pushed his back with a force he couldn't expect. He didn't collapse but quickly turned around.

"The fuck-"

"That's my line, you midget." A strange man cut him mid-sentence. "That's pathetic, are you even 18 to be here?" He said grabbing the front of his shirt which made Levi burn with anger. He grabbed the man's hand and snatched it away from his body.

"Keep your dirty hands off me." He said, sending him a disgusted look. "If you're just drunk and looking for a fight, I recommend you find someone else."

A loud laugh echoed in the empty parking lot.

"Or what? You will bite my ankle?" he pushed his arms yet again. "Listen here, you little shit, I don't know what Petra sees in you, but you better keep your baby hands off her, you understand? She will run back to me, nobody else can stand her whining anyway."

Levi could only partly understand what this man was saying, as he was struck by the name of the woman he was just so absorbed thinking about. It was the only reason he didn't react right after he was pushed back.

The grimace appeared on the short man's face, and he lurched forward to knock him off his feet.


Gunther raised his head to see Petra who was standing behind his stool.

"Do you know where Levi could go? I don't quite know this place, and he's not at the front." She said with a worried expression on her face.

He looked around.

"Probably at the back." said Eld, standing up. He swayed for a moment before sending a smile to his friends. "Let's fetch him."

They agreed and followed him.

The sight that they were met with made all three of them frozen in place.

Levi was standing above a man who was struggling to stand, and kicking him on the stomach. His leg was caught by his opponent's strong grip which made him lose his balance.

Gunther and Eld moved right away to separate the stranger from their friend, before he'd smash Levi's head with his shoe. They both held him, struggling. That gave Levi a chance to get up, which was followed by the last punch on the other man's now defenseless face. They looked as his head fell down, unconscious.

"Oh shit." said Eld and looked at his boss. "What should we do with him? What happened?"
Levi was breathing heavily and spit the blood at the side before responding.

"Wherever the fuck you want. Straight to hell, before I send him there myself." he said, which only made them look at each other with confusion.

"We'll try to get him out without the bouncers noticing." said Gunther and pointed with his head at the staff gateway at the side of the private parking lot. They headed there right away.

It was when Levi noticed the woman standing still in front of the entrance to the building. She approached him slowly, still in shock, and stopped a few feet before him. He could only watch her terrified face and imagine how bad he must have looked. He could feel the blood running down his nose, cheekbone and lower lip.

"You forgot to introduce me to your boyfriend." he said only, his breath still uneven.

"He's not my boyfriend." She responded with an empty tone, unable to avert her eyes from his face. "Not…anymore."

"I don't think he's fully aware of that, then." He let out and lowered himself to squat. He rested his elbows on his legs, looking at the concrete below him. Everything hurt, but the adrenaline didn't let him feel tired.

He noticed her shoes when she came closer. She kneeled to him, and to his surprise, took his face into her warm hands. He looked up at her, as she carefully caressed his cheeks with her thumbs.

"I'm so sorry…" She said looking him right in the eyes. There were no tears, only the guilt she was holding inside.

"What the fuck for? You didn't do anything." He said, not moving an inch, so she wouldn't release him from her hands.

She cracked a sad smile at his bluntness.

He looked at her in awe, unable to understand why she wasn't scared of him after what she'd seen.

"Do you need help standing up?" She asked, bringing her face closer to his." We need to get you stitched up."

"I can do it on my own." He said, mirroring her quiet tone." I just need a moment."

Her breath shuddered before she leaned in to kiss his parted lips.