Morning guys!

Sorry for the somewhat lateish upload. I usually try to upload at least an hour before now if not sooner – its usually how I kick off my Sundays. Cup of coffee, toddler trying to make my final 'edits' as I keep batting their grubby hands away from the keyboard, last sweeping read and BAM. Today though, for whatever reason, I really had to slow down and REALLY reread this chapter from a deep diving perspective – for reasons I'm not even sure of myself because I wrote and edited this chapter probably back in November and it's pretty solid soooo. *shrug*

Either way, I've learned to listen to my writer's intuition on that front, so I really slowed it down this morning, added a few paragraphs here and there, adjusted some word choices and though the differences are subtle, and I'm pleased. I hope that's what my brain was looking for? We shall see.

Either way, enjoy the read!

…

…

It had been an exhausting and demanding line up to be sure, but even still, it was without a doubt one of the singular most exciting points of Petra's career.

Since working out the testing with Levi and seeing that the training would in fact work, Erwin had truly shown himself strong as the Commander and wasted no time in implementing the new action plan just as quickly as possible. He was able to expertly facilitate exactly how the training would be rolled out, and much to Petra's surprise, Erwin turned out to be more than just a mere advocate or point of contact – the Commander made a point to be involved daily, also up to his elbows in paperwork and numbers, coming intentionally alongside Petra and Hanji as they all worked together to ensure that the right results were being reached as quickly, and as safely as possible.

Not that she had ever thought that Erwin was lazy, or 'too good' to work with a lowly Scout such as herself, but she had been admittedly surprised at just how focused and down to earth Erwin was when it regarded his men, and his outright willingness to do what seemed like grunt work that was debatably below someone of his rank. Even still, he had been diligent, professional, and had no problem taking feedback and actually partnering with herself and Hanji to help them achieve their goals, rather than just oversee it for the final results. While she had always known that the man was immensely talented; that his intellect was unmatched in the Scout Regiment and very likely the entire military, Petra was beginning to see that there were a lot of sides to the Commander that she simply hadn't been aware of before.

Over the past few months, her opinion of him had been shifted and stretched drastically - from merely Levi's charming and good natured boss, to seeing him as a closeted and manipulative sociopath, to eventually a well informed and revolutionary tactician that knew his men shockingly well, to the man she saw him as now – a mix of all those things that created a brilliant, bloodthirsty visionary that worked day in and day out same as the rest of them to gain even the slightest edge in the battle against the Titans. Oddly enough, he seemed less of a boss and more of a peer to her at this point – and Petra knew full well that it was intentional. Erwin needed her to be comfortable working with him, and the situation of her being 'off duty' while still working sun up to sun down, following dire schedules and learning on the fly how to adjust numbers for not just one lone man, but rather entire squads, teams and divisions; there just wasn't time for Erwin to fuss about their differences in rank. Based off rank alone, he'd technically have to talk to Levi first, wait for him to communicate with her, have Petra complete her work, give it back to Levi who would then give it back to him – it was just a waste of time, especially considering the fact that to some extent, Petra had already been working for him exclusively for some time now.

Erwin encouraged her on the daily and purposefully made a point to teach her what the Captain never could; mental triage and organization, picking up on complex and subversive data influxes, showing through past figures how such actions had impacted the Regiment previously, how to spot the difference between a mere fluke and an actual change in data, versus traditional outliers – he had told her that her skills were raw, but she was a true natural and he intended to personally see to it that her skills were developed into something more trained and reliable. He stated that if the results meant anything at all, if they clarified only one simple thing, it was that the Scouts needed her unique perspective because she came to solutions that were different from himself and Hanji.

As if to place his true and official stamp of approval on her efforts; if anyone gave Petra trouble, if anyone so much as questioned her methods or didn't immediately fall in line due to her not being in the hierarchy of command, Erwin would make a quick, ruthless example of them; embarrassing them publicly and in a manner that gave the resounding clarification that regardless Petra's rank as an Elite Scout, versus the rank of a legitimate Commanding Officer, she was to be treated as the source of authority because it was due to her hard work that they had found such a method at all and as such he would not tolerate any fashion of insubordination or disrespect toward her.

Luckily, a vast majority of the Scout Regiment held the newly titled Mrs. Ackerman in high regard, and were more than welcoming of any material that stemmed from her, saying things like 'Her methods are such a breath of fresh air' or 'Finally, someone who actually brought hope to the Regiment for once'. While Petra felt their praise was a little overwhelming and made her actions out to be a bit more grandiose than they actually were, she supposed she should just be grateful that people were rallying behind her efforts rather than fighting against them, so she tried to take the sudden spotlight with grace and humility.

The official training had launched in a sort of trickle-down fashion, all under the watchful eye of Petra, Hanji, and Erwin. They had taken one more day of intentional training for Levi specifically so he could get a good, personal feel for it all, to where he was relying on himself and what his body knew to be the new correct actions, versus having to lean on Petra for every little adjustment. Of course, he was a natural that could now pick up the differences with little difficulty, so by the end of the second day, his numbers were consistently improved without the use of Petra's coaching.

The following few days, Levi had trained Mike, and after that, the two of them paired together to train the remainder of Squad Levi. From there, training was rolled out to all Officers next, using a combination of effort from Levi's squad and Mike to oversee the training. That in and of itself had taken almost a full week – and that led them to where they were now, attempting to find some balance in division of labor that would quickly and safely get the bulk of the Regiment trained accordingly. In the end, they had agreed each squad would be led and trained primarily by their own Squad leader or Captain, but for more intentional support, they could count on frequent check in's from Levi's squad, Levi himself, Mike, and the ever vigilant data team to ensure that no singular Scout or squad got left behind in the chaos of implementation.

It was shaping up to be weeks of nonstop work, and while Petra had loved every minute of it - loved feeling like what she was doing was of the upmost importance, was looking forward to getting to see the Scout's numbers improve day by day, and was pleased that she had somehow found a way to be useful even through the aftermath of the accident – due to the nature of the heavy training with sunup to sundown demands, she found that she hadn't really spent any real time with Levi in close to two weeks now. What was more, as their schedules continued being planned and organized for the future weeks to come, Petra knew full well that them missing each other like this would become the norm, rather than the exception.

Of course they were professionals first and foremost, both effortlessly putting work first because their responsibilities took precedence and they were committed to their jobs with unwavering resolve – but still. With each day that passed by, Petra couldn't deny feeling a growing sort of wistfulness because it was such an important time in her life. Her career was taking off in a way where she could hardly keep up with the overnight fame and recognition, and as much as she enjoyed the success, Levi wasn't right there to share it with her. After all he had done to teach her; all the time he had spent investing in her and encouraging her, side by side in his office night after night…it just didn't feel right.

Petra was so used to spending each day with him, as their roles heavily involved and impacted the other by sheer proximity. It had been like that for months now, debatably years even considering they were on the same squad, and Petra found that she simply wasn't used to doing her work in a manner where she was so consistently apart from him for weeks on end like this.

She knew it wasn't personal - their responsibilities were so different and with their diverse skillsets, their paths just weren't crossing anymore. With data pooling in by the second from every single squad in the Scout Regiment, there wasn't time or benefit to working with Levi any longer; no reason to take orders or follow under his command, no avenue to complete the routines that she couldn't physically execute, and furthermore, she had her own tasks to complete that Levi couldn't assist with, because to the same point, numbers were not a strength of his and he was needed elsewhere.

While she was off analyzing data with Hanji and Erwin, Levi was equally as busy, but in his own role that revolved around training and showing the troops the new expectations and how to actually accomplish them in a fleshed out, practical manner. Levi's strength and natural leadership was required to show the regiment through example; show them how to perform in a new way that would still drive their efficiencies while reserving gas, and it kept him unintentionally distanced from his married counterpart as he had his own sunup to sundown demands that kept him away for days on end.

As if their demanding daytime duties weren't enough, Petra's crutches had arrived as scheduled, and because of that, now their nights were also spent apart as well. Once she had been able to move around without assistance, it simply wasn't necessary for Levi to pick her up and move her from place to place. By extension, Levi no longer had a reason to stay with her in her room if she could fend for herself each night. That same day, he had stopped by – late – and confirmed that he would have come sooner but his training class had run late, and Erwin had wanted to go over the results as soon as possible.

He had asked in a sort of frazzled state if her crutches were the right height for her, if she was able to move around on her own again, or what he needed to do to help her further. As he spoke, he had moved around her room and collected all the things he had left there previously; a spare jacket, his toothbrush, a comb, and a teacup, because he didn't want to trouble her by 'cluttering up her bedroom' and he promised he'd be out of her hair soon because he knew she was exhausted, and maybe he should have just come later when she wasn't asleep, but he hadn't thought of it and it was too late now.

Some part of her had wanted to tell him that it wasn't a big deal, that he didn't have to feel like he was troubling her with the few things that had accumulated in her room over the past few days. It was the truth, she didn't mind if he kept his things there because perhaps it might come in handy later, but the truth was, she simply liked seeing traces of him in her room and in her half-awake state, she wasn't quite sure how to say that without it being weird. She supposed that she liked walking in and seeing his jacket, being reminded of her Captain and knowing that even if he wasn't physically there with her, they were still working to the same end goal and it was only temporary, and it made her feel hopeful that sometime soon their paths might cross again.

But she hadn't found the words, and he left soon after.

The next morning, Petra had glanced around her room as she prepared for her day, secretly hoping that perhaps he had missed something, even the tiniest of things that she could hold onto as proof that her Captain had lived with her in her room for almost four straight days – but found nothing.

No pieces left behind, no trinket or treasure that she could hold onto.

She supposed it was for the best – she needed to keep focused so dwelling on something arbitrary like her relationship with a Captain who wasn't going anywhere was a rather poor way to spend her nights - but still.

As each day went by, if she saw him at all, it was often times in literal passing, where he would be walking across the grounds with Eld or Mike, discussing some subject matter with a focused expression, and sometimes he would notice her lingering stare from across the grounds, and sometimes he wouldn't.

Ironically enough, she almost preferred when he didn't notice her, because at least then she could watch him longer without it becoming weird, or without him wondering if she needed him for something and make his way over toward her unnecessarily. Come the times that he did notice her, Petra wasn't too proud to give him a nervous smile that she was certain highlighted the obvious fact that she missed him, that she noticed the distance between them but accepted it because it was what it was, and Levi would give her a single nod that was rather devoid of warmth or true acknowledgement, before looking back to the path ahead with a sort of wistful expression of his own.

The data continued to show promise; the regiment as a whole was using seven percent less and consistently growing closer to that thirteen percent mark, to where Erwin predicted that after three more weeks the training would be a true, documented success. As exciting as the news was, Petra wasn't certain that she could last another three weeks without spending some real time with the Captain, and so even if it was mundane – even if it was the silliest of excuses and something she would have ordinarily never looked forward to – Petra found herself smiling as she was getting ready for the morning.

Today was her follow up doctor's appointment, and Levi was coming with her, and she was thrilled.

…

…

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" Petra grumbled as they made their way down the path, adjusting her arms around the front of his chest, and Levi responded simply with a pointed look over his shoulder.

"I didn't 'talk' you into anything. I flat out told you that I'm carrying you, because you're too damn slow with your crutches, we're on a tight timetable, and the doctor's office is on the opposite end of the campus. Besides, I thought you said it wasn't so bad if I carried you like this, in piggyback style or whatever, because if you recall 'It will be fun.' Your words, Petra."

Levi couldn't help the smirk that followed his remark after seeing Petra's sullen expression, and she eventually gave a bitter sigh, "Well that was all before I had to be carried around by people for three and a half days straight. As if it wasn't bad enough being carried around by my own Captain, once you got started with Mike and the squad, it was Hanji who started moving me around instead. Worse still, Hanji wasn't always available, so there were a few times that Erwin himself – Erwin! – picked me up and took me wherever I was supposed to be. And before you try to say that it's not so bad or I'm just being over dramatic, think about how you'd feel if Erwin held out his arms and just picked you up and paraded you around the whole damn Regiment."

Petra's words were coming out with increasing speed, and she continued dramatically with an embarrassed cry, "He's almost three times my size, and I don't think I've ever had any physical contact with him outside of a handshake, let alone being cradled in his arms and wedged up against his extremely broad chest. Now granted, he did offer to carry me on his back instead, all while smirking the whole time that smug fucker, but considering that with how huge he is and how small I am, I'd end up having to do the splits across his back and that just sounded a little too up close and personal." Petra took a shuddering breath and groaned, dropping her head into the planes of Levi's back and confirming in defeat, "Levi, it was mortifying."

By the end of her statement, she was blushing heavily in recollection of her discomfort, and Levi's prior smirk had fallen into a less humorous, suddenly serious sort of stare down the path ahead. His voice was almost a mere whisper, "…I didn't know that."

Petra's head shot back up and she looked toward him with a pointed stare, "Well of course not. You've been busy. I've been busy. The whole Regiment has been upheaved and so, sure, it was embarrassing and uncomfortable, being carted around by some other man, all while I'm blushing and stuttering because I'm so embarrassed, and Erwin is just laughing at me because it was that obvious I was uncomfortable when it really wasn't that big of a deal, and even knowing that I just couldn't play it cool and-"

Petra gave another miserable groan, seemingly at a loss as for what to say further, and she exhaled after a moment to collect her thoughts, "I mean at the end of the day, Erwin is perfectly fine, and I trust him. There was obviously no problems on that front I just…I don't know. I'm kinda stubborn, like to stand on my own two feet, and in some ways I suppose that I told myself it would just be you doing that sort of thing, and I had somewhat come to terms with that, so when it was someone else it just felt weird and wrong, and then I realized how ridiculous I was being because I know it was just pragmatic, so I tried to play it off and it made it worse because, hell, you have a job to see to and I know that, and so of course it was someone else and-"

Levi shook his head, not sure if he should be amused by her rambling, or more so surprised by the sudden possessiveness building within him as he thought of Erwin carrying her delicate frame around campus instead of him, without his knowledge. Perhaps some alternative part of him was feeling wistful, considering the fact that yes, he did have a job to see to and that indisputably came first, in the same way that her numbers and meetings had been put first as of late, but the harrowing reality was that since her crutches had come in, he just hadn't been around for her. He hadn't watched over her healing like he had originally planned, he wasn't able to check on her, wasn't able to act as her husband or her Captain – Levi didn't know how he felt about any of those things, and so he merely stared at the path ahead in silence for a long moment.

"…Well, if only this time, at least right now it is me."

"Yeah, so it is." Petra finally agreed with a sigh, and after a few more minutes, she found herself absent mindedly fiddling with the fabric of his cravat – something that grabbed Levi's attention considering the sheer oddness of feeling the fabric twist and pull ever so slightly from all around his neck, but as he stole a glance back over his shoulder and saw her pensive expression, he was certain that she wasn't even aware she was consciously doing so, and he tried to ignore the nagging sensation.

"So what should I expect today? I know it's a checkup for my ankle, I think he's taking my stitches out – that's really about it, right?"

Levi merely nodded, and again Petra sighed, "And then it's right back to work I presume? You've got three different squads you're overseeing today, if memory serves? Or is that tomorrow?" she shifted across his back and continued, "Either way that means the data will be piling in and the longer I'm out the more work that will be waiting for me when I finally get back so…that's great."

Levi couldn't help but feel a slight amusement run through him and he resisted the urge to snort, "Well what did you expect? Use of the 3DM gear is a foundational pillar of the entire military, the Scouts especially, so changing how the resource is to be utilized is a landslide of work for everyone involved regarding their own performance, management style, how much back work and backlogs are generated for tracking – it's revolutionary Petra. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Petra sighed miserably, a subtle degree of what sounded like sulking now lining her words, "Ugh, maybe…but it's just so much work though, Captain! When Erwin challenged me way back, I never realized that after completing the project it would all be just the beginning. My workload has tripled since then, and I'm supposed to be on leave! Granted they haven't forced me into anything; it's all been my choice and even now I wouldn't step away if I can help it, but still! It's been day after day of stacks Levi – literal stacks! – of paperwork that are some two feet high with no end in sight. The work needs to get done and I know that there's no one else equipped to do the work but I just…well…I still find that I just want someone else to do it because some part of me feels that I did my part so now it's someone else's turn. I'm so, so sick of paperwork."

At her passionate and mournful tirade, Levi couldn't help but feel amused at the irony of it all, "See, listen to you. Now you really sound like a Commanding Officer: overworked and regretting the fact that you ever believed Erwin when he said it would just be a simple matter." Levi shook his head and continued smugly, "Let me give you some advice, rookie: If it's coming from Erwin, it's never a simple matter, and will always end in more work, every damn time."

Petra gave a groan and shot him a dirty look at his smug teasing, "Thanks for the tip."

Not much later they had arrived at the medical facility and Levi was already certain it would be a long day, because at the front desk was that same nurse – Allison or something like that – and at the sound of the door opening she looked up with a passing glance, "Welcome, if you could just sign in he-"

Again she looked up in a sort of double take, a sudden and bright smile coming to her face; an undeniable trace of amusement already pulling at her features as she eyed them gleefully, and Levi felt a scowl tighten his lips that was the beginnings of admitted embarrassment, because it was obvious the nurse hadn't forgotten about Petra's drug induced speech any more than he had.

"Mrs. Ackerman! And the notorious Humanity's Strongest - has it been two weeks already? How are you feeling? You're looking much better! Still not walking on your own just yet or…?"

There was a laugh that came from just behind him, and Petra responded warmly, "Hey Alyssa," Oh right, Alyssa. Not Allison. "No, I've actually been moving around on my own for over a week now, but we're on a tight timetable and someone didn't want to wait. I am feeling a lot better though - I can move around again, my skin doesn't feel as tight, of course I notice that I have a giant cast on my foot, but in terms of pain, I hardly even notice it anymore. It's all thanks to you guys! Your team was just so great and you're all so skilled! How have things been for you? Keeping busy?"

Adding nothing to the conversation, pleased immensely that he wasn't the subject of conversation this time around, Levi moved toward the reception desk and grabbed the pen, signing the sheet as the two women continued conversing. As he signed the sheet dutifully, writing down the time, reason for visit and other basic answers, Levi was reminded outright that Petra was legitimately a…charming individual, he mentally tested out the word and decided it fit well enough, regardless its more traditionally masculine connotation.

Even though the women had only met a small number of times, and always on less than traditional or lighthearted circumstances, even still Allison was speaking to Petra with a beaming smile, as though they had been friends for years, as though she was outright enamored to be speaking with her because the petite ginger simply had such a way about her. It was like that with everyone, the shop keeper, the men of his squad; people just naturally gravitated toward her effortlessly. Like Erwin, Petra just had a natural charisma that was infectious in nature and people liked her without her even trying.

It seemed that wherever they went, no matter the circumstances, Petra was always catching someone's eye, able to make intelligent conversation and witty remarks to so easily grab the delight of others – a skill that greatly helped in the event that they needed to make nice with some random Lord or Benefactor, as Levi himself could somewhat hide in the background and not do too much damage with his unsavory mannerisms. To be fair though, her natural charm had caused them trouble more than once in the past when people took her kindness to mean something else entirely, and it was impossible to keep to a schedule if they were out and about, because Petra always seemed to get caught up in some conversation with some random stranger, every time.

Worse still, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he simply couldn't: None seemed to fall prey to her charms more than himself, because at the prospect of Petra leaving his squad all those months ago, he had outright married her, so when it was all said and done, who was he to judge those that found her to be equally as pleasant?

She had always been like that, and he could say it was something he had noticed long before their wedding had occurred, because it was impossible not to. In truth, it was in fact a large part of what had landed her a spot on his squad to begin with. The original team Levi had been comprised of the same men, but just the four of them on a squad, rather than the five that comprised Squad Levi now.

It had all been fine, for a few months at least. Levi had been groomed to be a Captain, shaped intentionally to lead a specialized squad of his own as the official elite, 'Special Ops Squad'. There had been bumps in the road as he adjusted to the new role and learned how to lead a team under the parameters of the military, but as the months went by and various problems only continued to worsen, problems he had first chalked up to a sort of learning curve, he realized the squad's embittered dynamic and constant squabbling wouldn't just 'work itself out', because it seemed to be foundational and at the very core of his team's functionality.

There was a certain degree of edginess and mistrust in his men; a reluctance or unwillingness to bend or work together because no one wanted to be seen as the weakest and they were all trying to one up each other at every turn, all while side eyeing their fellow 'comrades'. What was more, they certainly didn't trust him in the slightest either. They obeyed him as Captain, as trained units of the military, but their mistrust was obvious as no one had really wanted to work with the Commander's illicitly gained stray from the Underground.

Try as he may to change the squad's interactions, with his own personality and the fact that he himself wasn't sure how to fix the growing tension, he knew he wouldn't be much help in making his team rally together as anything but bitter and unwilling rivals. Their hesitance made his own mistrust rise, and the problems were consistently escalating instead of getting resolved.

At one point he had gone to Erwin, desperate for help, but Erwin was stubbornly useless and insisted that if Levi was throwing in the towel and needed his authority as the Commander to fix the problems on the squad, then he simply wasn't ready to be Captain of an elite force, and sent him away empty handed with the useless words of 'I'm sure you'll figure something out, Captain.'

So. He had tried. He used different exercises, endured horrible outings that he could only look back on now as failed attempts at team builders, but the tension and bitterness remained, and Levi was at a complete loss.

It was after five months of this, a few bouts of fist fights, and that fact that not even he himself would come out of his room until the last possible moment to report for duty, that Levi realized with sudden clarity that, plain and simple, his squad was incomplete. They needed some sort of buffer desperately; a person who was skilled and could hold their weight, but was a people person by nature – someone who could meet anyone where they were, as they were, and still manage to work with them just fine. If he could find someone like that, it would bring his whole team together, he was certain of it.

It hadn't really been a gendered thing; though looking back now he supposed he had in fact been looking for another male when it came down to it. It wasn't a matter of being sexist, it was just that he couldn't afford this person to be in and out of relationships, god forbid with the men of his own squad no less, constantly starting drama – and while it seemed perhaps a little prideful or premature, Levi was well aware of the effect he had on women in the Scout Regiment, and the last thing he wanted to do was employ and therefore have to look after some mindless fan girl.

He knew full well that not all women were like that, not even close, but he couldn't pretend that he knew women well enough to be able to tell the difference so instantaneously, and once the job offer was made, it would be far too troublesome to forcibly remove such a toxic woman from his squad on the basis that she just wasn't a good fit. No, he was thinking of a determined barely twenty-something kid, someone notably younger than the majority of his squad that wouldn't feel like a threat - someone that was hungry to learn and would look at them all like role models instead of rivals.

He needed someone that could take a joke, or perhaps even someone that was a bit on the oblivious side; that wouldn't be able to respond to the negativity because they hadn't even noticed it in the first place. He wasn't sure how he would go about finding such a person, as there weren't really records kept for personality types, and looking back now, Levi could only assume it was fate that had brought him to Petra all those years ago. When the girl had first caught his attention, their very first time actually meeting each other more than just uncaring, passing glances of yet another Scout in the Regiment, it wasn't even through the lens of him looking for a person on his team – no, surprise surprise…

She had been breaking the rules.

…

End of Chapter

…

*looks at clock*

Sorry, looks like my editing took a pretty penny of time indeed. Ah well. Honestly, I don't have too much to say here, and less is more as they say. Thanks as always, looking forward to seeing your thoughts on this chapter, and I'll see you next week!

~Mid