Okay yall, I know you're here for this story, of course, but *miserable sigh* for my Vetitian readers who were promised a Wednesday update and are still waiting, yall, I am so, so sorry. I haven't missed an update in literally over a year, so I hope you can understand that it wasn't at all done on purpose. I'm usually pretty good about gauging when my material will be post ready, but without getting too much into it, Vetitian is actually giving me a run for my money. I have officially decided it will be a three shot, and chapter two is almost ready to go, but not quite. Meaning that yes, honest to goodness, this Wednesday chapter two will be up, for real this time.

I feel so terrible, and I'm so sorry to have not delivered, but again, this piece is just something else and its sorta stilling my hand.

But. Enough on that one, because we've got THIS story to review, so om that note, happy Sunday, and happy mothers day! Yall enjoy!

…

…

Levi wasn't sure how long they had been like that, him hovering directly over her petite frame, exchanging kisses and sighs and gentle caresses as they made up for lost time – it couldn't have been that long, maybe only five or ten minutes at best – but when a knock was heard on the door, both of them froze in place, and eventually Levi sighed, his lips still moving against hers, ever so slightly as he spoke.

"It's one of the bellhops." He murmured against her lips, "They usually confirm the order before putting it in."

Petra gave a small, gentle laugh at the obvious irritation across his face that he probably thought wasn't there. She gave him a nod toward the door, letting her fingers trace down his neck as she spoke, "Figures. As much as I miss this, you should probably go confirm it. I'm pretty hungry, and what's more, I was hoping to go soak in the tub for a bit before the food gets here, if that's okay. I'm not trying to be a baby about my ankle but-"

Levi shook his head as he sat up more fully, resting back into his knees as he spoke, "No, I know it's been bothering you. You were limping earlier."

She groaned and allowed her head to fall back into the mattress with a defeated plop, "Really? Ugh, I was hoping that-" Her words were cut off with another knock, and she gave a quiet laugh as Levi rolled his eyes and shot a waspish glare toward the door, "Well Captain, certainly persistent aren't they?"

"Kid just wants a tip is all. This place is nice, but their staff is greedy. Even still, I probably shouldn't keep them waiting much longer. They won't put the order in until it's confirmed, and if the bellhop leaves, they probably won't try again for at least an hour."

Levi shifted again, preparing to move off the bed and away from Petra, and he looked down at her with a somewhat amused, somewhat disappointed expression, pausing in place for an extended moment and hesitant to move away. On sudden impulse, he took a breath, moving back toward her with an aggressive lean of his body and kissing her fiercely, pressing her right back into the bed - thrilled when Petra gave a surprised sort of yelp, and all but melting into his hold and angling her head to deepen the kiss as she moaned into his mouth with a pleased exhale of contentment. As he kissed her, he could feel a bubbling smile pull at her lips because…he had taken her by surprise, he realized, and what was more….she had liked it.

Very much so.

He decided at once that he also perhaps rather…liked surprising her.

Levi knew he couldn't linger, he only had a handful of seconds to work with, but that would be enough. Some part of him wanted to make a point of his own, now that he had her complete attention. He wanted to remind her exactly how he could kiss her, remind her why she sought after his complete attention, his unique touch, like this. Petra whimpered against his lips, her arms winding around his back in abandon, then down to the bottoms of where his shirt met his pants, and Levi gave a low, pleased hum when he felt Petra's hands dip beneath the light fabric of his shirt, her palms and fingertips tracing up his sides in a single caress that caused his muscles to ripple and flex at the light sensation.

Another knock.

"Sir or ma'am? We have your order here and would like to review the details? It will only take a moment."

Levi gave a groan and Petra sighed, pulling her arms away from him in defeat and giving a wave toward the door. Levi couldn't help the smirk the pulled at his lips, admittedly amused by Petra's obvious disappointment and apparent pouting. He moved off the bed and moved toward the door, pleased and perhaps a little smug after seeing how easily he could get a rise out of her, because yes he wanted her, but Petra, well...

Such a behaved, disciplined woman – in truth there were times she was hard to read because even though he knew the desire was there, it was rare that she ever expressed it, especially now that her medicine had long since become a thing of the past. Since then, the distance between them had been undeniable. Throughout the month, he had never really caught her staring, she didn't seem to struggle with her attraction versus her responsibilities; as though she could so easily ignore their chemistry outright. As her Commanding Officer, he expected no less from his subordinates and was pleased by her self-control.

And yet, as her husband, he supposed that maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she slipped up, just every once in a while. In truth, he very much liked the idea of a distracted Petra, sitting perhaps in Erwin's office or discussing probabilities with Hanji, being asked a sudden question and having to bring herself back into focus with a dazed 'Hm?' because her mind had been focused on him instead. He imagined she would blush, quickly shuffle some papers around in attempts to resort her thoughts, and try to pretend that she hadn't been thinking about him; his touch and his kiss and how much she wanted to be near him after spending multiple weeks apart.

And if she did think about him, what did she think about? Was it just thoughts, or did she perhaps ever act on it? Was it possible that Petra had perhaps been alone in her room, thinking of him and allowing her fingers to roam over her body, thinking of his touch and breathing heavily into the night air as she allowed her mind to run wild and fantasize about being with him?

Fuck, he certainly wouldn't mind believing such a thing.

Realizing that now he was the distracted one, he felt some of his smugness turn to something a little less arrogant, and he decided to put the matter behind him, because comparing his own measure of discipline to someone like Petra – he knew full well that he'd loose that battle every time.

He opened the door and conversed with the bellhop for a few minutes, confirming that yes, what he wrote down was in fact what he wanted – thus the point of him writing it down in the first place – and from behind him, he could hear the sound of the bathwater running as Petra moved around the room and gathered her things.

After confirming the details of the order, giving yet another tip to the greedy staff member who promised they'd get their order placed as quickly as possible, Levi closed the door with a sigh, moving back into the main part of the room and watching with a sense of contentment as Petra continued to move around the area, coming out of the closet with a bundle of clothes and a small overnight bag in her arms. Though she was trying to hide it, no doubt a result of her pride, it didn't escape his notice that her steps were favoring her injured ankle even now. Like the doctor had predicted, riding for a full day had agitated her ankle, to the extent that just walking across the room was clearly difficult for her.

A comfortable silence fell across the room as Petra gathered her things, the silence only being broken by the sound of the running water, and eventually, Levi leaned against the wall with a slight exhale, still continuing to watch her as she made further preparations for her bath. She moved to one of the dressers, setting the bag down onto the surface and grabbing out her hairbrush with a sigh of preparation. Levi watched with light interest as she leaned her head to one side ever so slightly, pulling her hair to the side and beginning to brush it out gently, starting from the ends first with the lightest pull of her wrist, and then slowly working her way up to untangle any frays or knots that had been created in their travels.

There was an odd intimacy in the detail – something Levi wouldn't have expected – as he watched her carefully brush through her hair so simply, paying him no mind as she began to hum quietly to herself in a carefree manner. He wasn't sure what he found to be so alluring in her actions; it certainly wasn't anything she was doing to attract him, nothing more than a daily task of self-care, and yet he found himself walking toward her just the same.

It was only when he walked just behind her, his hand cresting up her forearm until finally reaching her hand, that Petra seemed to stall in place, pausing from her previous brushing and quiet tune, curious as to what her Captain might be up to and barely fighting off the urge to turn around and face him.

From behind her, Levi moved to grab the hairbrush out of her hands; easily pulling it from her as she offered no resistance – seemingly mystified by his actions.

"Let me." He stated softly, and Petra gave a nervous, shallow nod, dropping her hands to her side and nervously fiddling with the ends of her shirt as she felt Levi raise his hands toward her hair, pulling her hair behind her so he could brush it out more easily.

Levi held her hairbrush simply, allowing his fingers to trace through her hair for a moment, lightly sorting through her amber strands for any larger tangles, then carefully following with her hairbrush as he continued in the simple task and brushed through her amber strands bit by bit.

"Your hair's been getting longer." He stated after a few moments, pulling a single lock of hair between his fingers and tracing his fingertips down to the ends - ends that reached not to the bottom of her chin like he had seen for years now, but rather just below her shoulders. He continued to fiddle with a lock of her hair, speaking as he did so, "You trying to grow it out or something? I don't think I've ever seen you with long hair like this before."

"Oh, well uh, it seems that way. Does it look bad like this?"

When he didn't respond right away, Petra found herself stealing a glance over her shoulder nervously, feeling her heart pound nervously at the way her Captain's gaze was focused so intently on her – his eyes narrowed in a surveying fashion as he continued to comb through her locks, clearly transfixed and focused so completely on the task, and it was only when Levi caught her stare that he seemed to redirect his attention back to their conversation, and he shook his head.

"No."

After a moment, Levi looked back toward her, again running the brush through her hair as he spoke, "That look on your face, am I making you nervous?"

"A little." She admitted honestly, knowing full well that she was blushing and there would be nothing that could be done about it. It was strange – she found that while she wanted Levi's attention, wanted to catch his eye and truly was looking forward to spending so much time with him – at times like this, without him even trying, it was almost too intense, too much for her to handle. A single touch, a glance, sometimes the smallest of things felt overwhelming and surprisingly intimate because she knew full well that she was seeing a side of Levi that no one else ever had before.

Even now, she wasn't certain what to make of the event or how she should feel about the fact that Levi – Humanity's Strongest – was spending his time just…brushing her hair, with such a gentleness and carefulness that it made her mind start to wander because the man who had slain Titans, the man who was feared and respected and sought after for his strength and tactical brilliance, had such a delicate touch.

How was it possible that the Captain she had seen on the battlefield, ruthless and bloodthirsty to such an extent that his rage was truly fearsome, could also be here beside her, choosing to do something so mundane and ordinary simply because he could? What was more, she knew the look in his eye, his transfixed gaze and his content expression, he was actually enjoying the task.

Levi…it was obvious that there was still so much she didn't know about him. There was a lot she knew he wasn't ready to tell her – and maybe a lot he never would tell her, no matter how many years they spent by each other's sides.

Not wanting to allow her thoughts to get too carried away, fearful that she might say something ridiculous, she gave a casual laugh, also pulling at a lock of hair and surveying it as she spoke, "Honestly Captain, I do prefer to keep my hair shorter. It's easier to work with and I don't have to spend so much time fussing about it. I would have cut it already, but ever since the gas shortage really took effect, I just kept forgetting. These past few months have been crazy. First all the data mining in your office, and then you were gone at the collaboration, and then the whole thing with Erwin happened, and then my ankle. Since then it's been nothing but paperwork and recovery, where my hair has been the least of my worries. When we get back though, back home at the base, I think I'll cut it then."

Levi nodded, setting her hairbrush down on the dresser and gently running his fingers through her tidy auburn strands in a final sort of caress. His words came to him slowly, as his fingers traced down her back lightly, then over the sides of her hips as he lightly grabbed the bottom hem of her shirt, his voice quiet as he spoke in sudden resolve and curiosity.

"Petra, your side, with your recovery and everything – I know your stitches came off a while ago, and I know you've mostly healed up but I'm just…" as he spoke, he pulled at the ends of her shirt, ever so slightly upward, hoping she would get the hint on her own without him having to say it outright, because he wasn't sure how to say the right words and not have it come out sounding like something different entirely.

A sort of silence hung over the room, and he watched as a blush spread over the back of her neck and over her shoulders, proving that she understood his request, although regardless her obvious embarrassment, even still, Petra took a nervous inhale and raised her arms upward for him. Levi gave a light, almost imperceptible nod of thanks, simultaneously moving the fabric up from around her; being careful to not touch or brush her inappropriately in the process because that really wasn't the point.

As Petra pulled her arms out of the sleeves, still facing forward but stealing a glance over her shoulder toward him, he nodded toward the shirt in her hands, "Hold onto that." When he popped the clasp of her bra from off around her in the next moment, Petra gasped in initial surprise, her eyes going wide, and Levi gave an amused exhale at her apparent shyness, at the way she suddenly refused to meet his gaze as he pulled the fabric off from around her back, "Sorry. It's a little in the way."

As he spoke, he moved his hands over her shoulders carefully, pushing the straps off her shoulders, and as the blush continued to grow deeper across the back of her neck, Petra lightly grabbed the garment from off around her and shook her head, unfolding her wadded up shirt and aligning the fabric across her chest intentionally.

She looked over her shoulder, still refusing to meet his gaze as she stared off into the corner of the room instead, "It's fine, Captain."

With that, he nodded and moved ever so slightly, encouraging her to turn so that he could look at her bare side more directly. His eyes met hers for only a moment, and then he kneeled down toward the ground, crouched into one leg as he took a closer look at her, his eyes narrowed critically because for him, the last time he had seen her once injured side so up close like this, it was way back when her stitches had gotten removed, almost four weeks ago now.

He remembered having been so worried, being apart from her, having once believed that he would be at her side for the full six weeks, likely being a pain in the ass every step of the way because Petra was so hellbent on caring for others that she often forgot to take care of herself. He would nag her and likely get frustrated by her nonchalant attitude; the unnecessary bravery she would carry herself with because she always tried so desperately to impress him at the worst of times.

He knew she didn't need him, but the fact that she had gone through it alone – taking care of her injuries, all while working even harder than she normally did on a daily basis due to the demands of the military, he felt a strange mix of pride, awe, jealousy for her discipline and time management, and sheer guilt, because fact of the matter was, in her time of need, even Hanji and Erwin had been more available than him.

His fingers traced down her pale skin, earning a sharp gasp from Petra, although she remained still as he continued mapping out her injuries by memory. There had been such deep bruising; patches of blacks and purples, sections of serrated skin that had been scraped away, line after line of jagged scratches that had bled straight through her clothes and felt damp, hot, and sticky in his fingers that day. He remembered all her stitches – fuck, there had been so many of them, and it seemed like there was so very little of her right side that hadn't been forced back into place by the medical team.

And yet, as he looked his wife over now, his mouth parted slightly from admitted surprise and wistfulness because…it was all just skin.

The bruising was gone, the stitches long removed. Her pale skin was soft and warm, like the rest of her, and the only traces of her injury were faint white lines – the last of her more gruesome cuts – that had turned into thin and delicate scars that would likely continue to fade away all the more with time.

The contrast, of what he had once seen, to the state she was in now, was a stark difference, and he found himself staring into her alabaster skin with a disbelieving shake of his head, eyes narrowed as he spoke, "Petra, I should have been there. I'm sorry."

His words were simple, but spoken with such a tangible regret that Petra couldn't help the frown that came to her lips, "Captain, you were there. At every doctor's appointment, you found a way to make time, when and if you could. And sure, maybe recovery was less than ideal and there were moments that I…well, really missed you but…it's okay. I'm not mad or upset, and if it matters, I don't feel you let me down or that you, I don't know, weren't doing your 'part' or whatever."

Levi mentally, begrudgingly tried to accept her words, his hands moving toward her hips and turning her more directly toward him so he could meet her gaze, "It just bothers me, a lot, because I feel I finally had the opportunity to pay you back a little for how devoted and intentional you are around me. I'm not really worthy of all that attention; I know that I screw up a lot and that I hurt your feelings without meaning to - maybe it's a shitty thing to say, but I was looking forward to it, because it was something easy and attainable that I could do for you – you know, something that a husband is supposed to do or whatever. I could stand by your side, help you clean up, make sure you did all your rehab exercises or whatever – and you would have known that I was doing it because of our relationship, more than the fact that I was your Commanding Officer."

Levi gave a sigh, looking down at her stomach, his hands still brushing over her side wistfully as he spoke, "I'm not looking for pity or to manipulate your emotions, but there are times that I simply don't know how to pay you back for everything you do for me. I know I'm supposed to try, but in terms of practical application, it's easier said than done I guess."

Petra found herself brushing her hand through his hair in sudden thought, keeping her other hand bunched in the fabric of her shirt so she didn't end up flashing him by mistake, still attempting to comfort her obviously troubled Captain because she found she didn't even know what to say. Regardless the strangeness of the situation, regardless her half-dressed state and the nervousness that churned in her stomach as Levi's thumbs drew mindless patterns on the bare skin of her hips, Petra couldn't help but smile.

Considering he was the one that came to her, considering all he had done for her over the years as her Commanding Officer, she found it strange that Levi seemed to be so concerned with paying her back, rather than the other way around. It spoke to his humility, to the very heart of his being, that he simply couldn't see his good qualities and how he truly did so much for her.

It was as she tried to pick her words to respond, to try and do a better job of bolstering his obvious insecurities regarding how he treated her, that Levi slowly stood up from the ground, both his hands coming to rest on her shoulders as he watched her with a suddenly serious expression, "Petra, this is a little off topic perhaps, and I'm sorry to do this in such a setting as I really don't plan on being your 'Captain' out here while we're on vacation, but after getting a good look at you, I can't help but notice that you've lost weight. Were you…you haven't been skipping meals again, right? Be honest with me."

At Levi's suspicious words and critical stare that silently demanded a prompt response, Petra shook her head, "Oh no, no I promise. I have lost a few pounds, but it's all been related to my injuries and just all the extra work my body has had to due to heal and all that. I talked to the doctor about it yesterday considering my clothes have been feeling a little loose as of late, and he confirmed that it's normal after more significant injuries like mine. As for last month, I swear I've been eating, and trying to take good care of myself because I want to heal and get back onto the battlefield as soon as possible. The doctor said that once my body moves out of a state of recovery like this, that I should put the weight back on pretty quickly, so you know…I'm sorry to worry you Levi, but really, I'm alright. It's just all a part of the recovery process, I guess."

Levi accepted her answer, nodding his head seriously with relief, "Good. Just make sure you eat all your dinner tonight, and try to be a bit more generous with your portions while we're on vacation like this, because I can tell you flat out that you'll need to put that weight back on before you can even think about participating in any Expeditions. You're already damn scrawny as it is, but if you're malnourished and underweight on top of it, there's no guarantee you won't pass out from the strain, and I'd rather not have you as a liability out there. It's not meant to be a threat, but if you can't get back up to your previous weight, we'll just have to wait until the next Expedition. You'll get there, but there's no good that can come from rushing your recovery."

Petra gave a nod of understanding, a worried sort of expression coming over her face because she wasn't sure how soon her body would start being able to put on weight again, and Levi motioned toward the bathroom with a tilt of his head, "Your bath should be ready. Go soak, and I'll let you know when the food gets here."

Petra gave a nod, "Thanks. Would you mind carrying my things into the bathroom? I'm sort of…well, limited on that part of the mobility right now."

As a faint blush returned to her cheeks, Levi couldn't help the smirk that came to his face and he merely crossed his arms passively, "Don't be dramatic. The least you could do is just try, and if anything happens, then we'll know for next time. You'll be fine; it's only like ten feet from here."

It didn't occur to her immediately that Levi was obviously just teasing her, and at the way her blush deepened tenfold, Levi couldn't help the snort that left his lips. He rolled his eyes with a fond smile, grabbing her things and moving them toward the bathroom with an amused shake of his head.

…

…

It was sometime later that Petra found herself nestled in bed, her eyes still adjusting to the dark as she vaguely felt Levi move from the opposite end of the bed, the bed so large that his movement hardly even reached her. Their evening had been fairly uneventful – she had spent a long while enjoying the glories of a large tub, had eaten a rather large and delicious dinner with her Captain, and true to Levi's words, had gotten to later experience the best chocolate cake she had ever had in her entire life.

She smiled faintly to herself at the memory, having taken her first bite while Levi watched her with a single raised eyebrow. She had confirmed with a mouthful that Hanji was right, because the experience was all but spiritual, and after nagging Levi some twenty times over, she eventually convinced him to take a bite because it was just that good and he clearly hadn't lived until he tried it.

His face had been amusing, causing Petra to laugh out loud as she watched his expression contort from the experience. He had blinked in surprise, his nose crinkling as he slowly chewed the dessert, and he eventually swallowed thickly, moving his tongue across his teeth next in attempts to clear his mouth from any remaining remnants. He looked back toward the cake, then Petra, shaking his head in wonder because it was sweet, so sweet that it almost made his teeth throb unpleasantly, and the fact that Petra was consuming the dessert with such gusto, it had outright baffled him because consuming anything more than a bite or two of something so sweet would have undoubtedly upset his stomach.

Thinking about it had brought a smile to her face, now that they were finally settled into bed for the night, and she blindly looked up toward the ceiling, finding that the room was still too dark for her to be able to see much, "Levi…can I be honest with you? I'm kind of…well, worried about going home, I guess. I mean, I'm looking forward to seeing my Dad of course, but it's hard because I know we're just going to fight the whole time. It's not that I'm going home specifically to pick a fight or anything, but just knowing that that's going to be how it goes, it's exhausting to think about."

There was a long pause, and eventually she heard Levi give a light sigh, "You have to pick your battles, and this one…well, I won't tell you what's best or how to handle your business with your father, but considering I chose to marry you instead of letting his will be forced on you like he wanted, you know full well where I stand. Some things are worth fighting for, and something like this – it's important that he understands, whether he likes it or not."

Petra gave a grateful smile that she knew he wouldn't see, and she allowed her head to fall to the side, speaking toward Levi more directly, "Do you think that maybe…he'll like you?"

There was some shifting she felt, and based off the way his voice reverberated toward her more directly, she could only assume he had turned on his side to face her, "I doubt it. People don't really warm up to me at first glance, or second, or third, and after that they're pretty well burned out and already have their minds made up. What's more, considering the fact that I'm the man personally responsible for keeping his little girl in the military, he's got motive to hate me out right so I don't think I'll be in his good graces. Besides, if anyone knows the answer to that question, it's you. You know him a hell of a lot better than I do; I've never even met him before."

A sort of silence fell between them, Levi realizing that there was a reason she had asked him such a question, and he gave a deep sigh, "Does it…matter to you, that he like me? I'm not saying that it's impossible – I mean, you seem to like me well enough and the both of you are related, it's just…I'm not sure that things will ever look traditional for us in that sense. I'm not trying to be callus or upset you, but I don't see a world where you and I are heading there for the holidays, where your old man greets us with open arms as we catch up around the dinner table or whatever. Things are changing between us Petra; I know that, and I'm okay with that, but some things – just because we relate to each other differently – doesn't mean that we'll have those traditional moments or interactions that others do. We're still in the military, and that comes with expected sacrifices that neither of us can really avoid."

"I know." She whispered into the night air, allowing the silence to draw out as she picked her words carefully, "I am not looking for that so much as just…" she mentally tried to sort out her thoughts and gave a pensive shake of her head, "Don't misunderstand, it's not that I need him to like you or anything, or that I'm wanting you to suck up to him or go out of your way to make a good impression. It's just…he's my Dad, you know? Some part of me will always try to seek after his approval, even if it's impossible for me to obtain. And you, because you're important to me, it does matter to me. A lot. How my Dad treats you, what he thinks of you, if he respects you or-"

"You can't control any of those things Petra." Levi stated with a quiet voice, and she fell quiet at his light correction, "At best, you'll be satisfied, merely placated - at the cost of being upset or heartbroken over what you can't change, in the more likely event that he and I don't hit it off all that well. You may have to accept that your father dislikes me outright, and honestly, that's okay."

She gave a mournful sigh, "I know. But even still, I can't help but hope that he takes me by surprise. I am not sure I can handle two weeks of fighting with my dad nonstop. I haven't seen him in so long now, and to spend our time fighting constantly, or to watch him fight you and cause you trouble just because you married me; it's exhausting to think about and I'm not sure I'll be able to just sit by and watch such a thing."

"I understand, but frankly, you can't dwell on what may or may not happen. It's out of your hands, and the best you can do is roll with the punches." As he spoke, Levi found himself taking a light breath, hesitant to speak further because he knew this was a sensitive subject for her, and he wasn't trying to downplay her feelings regarding the complicated nature of her relationship with her father. He remembered Eld's words to him specifically; his charge that Petra would apparently need him, would need his strength and his support, but simply wouldn't know how to ask him for help.

Even if it was just a glimpse, Levi was starting to see what Eld was talking about, because Petra was usually so confident, but this…her nervousness and uncertainty was palpable.

He exhaled, "But whatever happens, I'll be there. I can't promise to change it or make it better, but I can listen. If you get frustrated, or angry – whether at me or your father or just the situation – I'm going to be your ally. It's only two weeks, and then we can go back to headquarters, and life can return to normal. With any luck, your dad will respect your decisions, and we'll put the whole matter behind us once and for all. And that…you'd like that much, right?"

A long silence followed after his statement, and there was a warmth to her voice when she finally responded, "I would, very much so. And…thanks Levi. For being here with me. I know I keep repeating myself, but thinking about doing this all alone – trying to train, trying to explain it all to my dad, all the traveling and lonely hours for multiple days on end…"

"Don't worry about it. And I know you may be dreading it, but if I can be equally as honest in return, I wouldn't mind having a few direct conversations with your father. It's not that I'm wanting to fight with him but…"

"But you kinda are?" Petra asked with a knowing grin, not fooled by her Captain's gentle choice of words, and Levi couldn't help but smirk.

"Yeah."

Petra rolled her eyes, shifting across the bed ever so slightly as she tried to get comfortable, "Just don't go giving my father a heart attack or anything. You know how intimidating you can be, and my Dad's not getting any younger."

It was as she moved that a certain sort of something grabbed Levi's attention, and he blinked in sudden curiosity and suspicion because that was different. "Hey Petra, what is that?" he asked simply, leaning up onto his forearm and looking toward the direction of Petra's voice as he spoke.

"What's what?" she asked, not certain what he was talking about and not sure if it was good, or bad, or if she should be outright panicking.

"That smell, it's…" he explained in a sort of pensive whisper, and Petra groaned at his rather vague explanation, because his generic response wasn't helping. Even still, she suspiciously smelled the air, not certain what might have gotten such a rise out of him, and after a few moments of admitted curiosity, she shrugged in eventual defeat, "I can't smell anything. It shouldn't be the food; the bellhops came and took the dishes away hours ago."

"Yeah, there's more pocket money that I'll never see again." He mumbled bitterly, and Petra snorted at his quipped response. Again Levi shifted across the bed ever so slightly, speaking as he did so, "And no, it's not something like that. It's…sweeter."

Petra rolled onto her side with an exhausted huff, turning away from Levi as she began moving her pillows around her, finding that she was rightfully spent, and after already giving it her best effort, she simply didn't care about whatever had grabbed Levi's attention so completely like this, "Sorry Captain, but I'm just going to have to chalk it up to this place being a new location. It could be anything; the bedding, the carpets, whatever cleaner they use, perhaps the air fresheners in the hallway-"

As she spoke in obvious dismissal, Levi exhaled slightly, mildly suspicious that Petra was feigning innocence, because it was each time that she moved that the alluring smell reached him yet again and perked his interest all the more. When he shifted across the expanse of the large bed and appeared right beside her, Petra all but jolted at his sudden closeness, not having been aware that Levi had been making his way toward her. Before Petra could catch her breath and berate him for sneaking up on her like that, Levi had given her a curious smile that she wouldn't see, and he carefully pulled a hand up, brushing her bangs to one side as he spoke in a pleased whisper, "I thought so. It's you."

"Me? What are you-"

Her words fell short as he pulled her closer toward him, pulling her against his chest running his nose against the dip of her neck, feeling her give a sudden gasp at his advance and falling still from her surprise. He ran his lips over her skin and spoke with a low, satisfied hum, "What is that, is that perfume? Damn Petra, fuck, it smells really nice."

He kissed the spot just beneath her ear, a sensitive spot that he knew would make her heart race, and he continued lightly as he intentionally inhaled the addicting aroma more completely, allowing the sweet scent to fill his lungs as he spoke in a purr, "Is there a reason for it, maybe a special occasion perhaps? Are you trying to impress me or something?"

He nuzzled against her, his hands resting over her hips at first but finally moving around her stomach in a sort of embrace because, Petra, she had never been the perfume wearing type, at least not to his knowledge, and he couldn't deny it was a pleasant surprise. He had never felt that she needed it, because she certainly kept proper care of herself, and admittedly the light smell of her strawberry shampoo had always been thoroughly pleasant when he was lucky enough to catch a trace of it, but this…

Was she going out of her way to attract him, perhaps? Doing something special in attempts to grab his attention, now that they were alone like this? Well, if she was going so far in her attempts to be so inviting of him, it would certainly be rude of him to disregard her effort.

Inhaling the pleasantly fresh, somewhat floral, sweet scent and allowing it to fill his airways all the more, Levi opened his mouth to speak, his hands moving just under the fabric of her nightshirt as he caressed her bare stomach with gentle strokes, "What else are you wearing, hm? Aside from the perfume, of course."

Petra swallowed and shook her head, her voice a confused, quiet sort of dazed mumble, "Well, uh, my pajamas, I guess? If you must know, underneath that is my sports bra, underwear and…well, my socks, you know, to keep my ankle brace in place? I'm sorry to disappoint you but really, I'm not…I'm not wearing any perfume, Captain. Was I…supposed to be? You're sort of confusing me right now."

He blinked, a stark cold feeling – the beginnings of embarrassment – running through his veins at the sheer confusion in her tone that confirmed that she perhaps, wasn't feigning innocence.

"…What?" he asked in building horror, now equally confused because…it just didn't make sense to him. She smelled so damn good, how could it not be perfume? He found his voice felt strained as he gave a humiliated cough, and he was back pedaling outright, "Uh…are you sure?"

His response was a sort of snort, and Petra nodded through her sudden laughter at the clear embarrassment in his tone, finally connecting the dots and realizing that her Captain had been hitting on her. While she supposed she shouldn't be laughing, because he had all too easily gotten her heart pumping with just a few sultry words and phantom touches, even still, the entire situation was so surreal that she simply couldn't keep a straight face the longer she thought about it.

"Yeah Levi, I'm pretty sure. But you know, it's always nice to hear that I smell-" she moved back around so she was somewhat facing him more directly, an element of teasing to her voice as she retorted smugly, "what, 'Damn Petra, really fucking nice?' something like that, Captain?"

He cleared his throat with a cough, a sudden heat rising to his face as a palpable nervousness overcame him because…well, didn't he feel absolutely, thoroughly, and entirely stupid.

"I uh…I thought that…" he cleared his throat again, now very aware of his hands that were still under her shirt, his palms resting over the planes of her stomach and side because in his previous certainty, he had clearly jumped the gun and now in the aftermath, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to recover.

He made a face, internally grimacing as he gently moved his hands out from around her, somewhat adjusting his position on the mattress and backing away because he had more than succeeded in making a fool of himself. Once he was safely back on his side of the bed, still hearing Petra giggle to herself, he groaned in prolonged humiliation, feeling the need to say something about his apparently uncalled for actions, "Sorry. I'm just going to try and forget about that, because I don't even know what to say at this point."

He adjusted himself on the mattress, admittedly frustrated, and he looked back toward where Petra was resting, shaking his head one last time because some part of his mind refused to let it go, still smelling that sweet and addictive fragrance even now and just as lost to its origins or how it may have gotten concentrated around her so strongly, "But for real Petra, you're really not wearing anything? I could have sworn."

There was a slight pause, and her voice lost its teasing edge, speaking now with a warmness to her tone as she responded, "I'm really not, Scout's Honor."

There was a groan, and Petra smiled, "Being completely serious Levi, I'm really not sure what it is that you're smelling on me, assuming it is me at all and not something else that's around me instead. I'd say it's my laundry soap, I did switch to a new scent recently, but if memory serves, it's fresh cotton or whatever, so I doubt you'd describe the smell as sweet, or go so far as to mistake it for something like perfume. To be honest with you, I don't think I've even owned a bottle of perfume before – I've never really had a reason to."

There was a pause as Levi considered her words, still feeling a warmness around his neck and shoulders from his complete embarrassment, and with a slight shifting from the other side of the mattress, Petra was speaking with a sudden resolve, her voice light as she paused and thought the previous moment over in quiet contemplation.

"I'll have to find something, Captain. Granted, it might take time, but…I'll find one."

"…Hm?"

"For you, I mean. You know, perfume."

Levi blinked at her words, and from the opposite end of the bed, Petra gave a pleased, soft sort of hum, her voice more quiet as she spoke in gentle confirmation, "I didn't know you liked it so much. For whatever it's worth, even if you're embarrassed or whatever, I'm kind of glad you got the wrong impression just now, because I doubt you would have ever told me such a thing, and I would have never guessed something like this on my own. Like you said earlier, being in the military means there's a lot that can't change, sacrifices that we'll both need to make – but some things, even if it's just small things like this, some things can change and I want to be willing to do those things for you. If finding a perfume that you like, and then me wearing it for you – if that means something to you, or if it makes you feel special in the same ways that you make me feel special when I'm around you, well…I'd love to give that to you, Levi."

She paused and gave a laugh, her voice more direct as though she had turned to face him, "After all, it's the small things, and if not me, then who else? I doubt you'd ever be caught dead wearing women's perfume, and I really wouldn't mind, if…you know, if that's okay with you."

The stoic Captain remained silent at her words, shocked by her admission and feeling a mix of awe, humility, and sheer gratitude as his previous embarrassment was exchanged for something more substantial and heartwarming. There was the smallest of sighs, and Petra continued just the same, "Granted I can't wear it all that often because it would be distracting and I'd sweat it right off during training, but maybe on special occasions or…well, just for you. I'd wear it for you, Levi. And you…you have to be honest, and tell me if you like it or not. If you don't like it, then it will ruin the whole point of me wearing it in the first place, so you have to tell me how you really feel about it so I can find something suitable for your tastes. Promise me, okay?"

At Petra's words, Levi had struggled to find a fitting response, and he eventually sighed and gave a nod, still unsure of what else he really could say to express his pounding heart and the way his chest felt tight with a growing sort of elation. As he thought her words over, he felt an odd sort of satisfaction, pleased by his rather insightful subordinate that had a better read on people than she often pretended. No, she was no fool, and it was clear that at times, she knew him even better than he knew himself.

"I promise."

It seemed that once again, Petra had taken him by complete surprise.

…

End Of Chapter

...

Okay, of course I like this chapter a lot. It's got some interesting highs and some good insights – at least as the writer, I hope so haha. I am just over the moon that we are getting there bit by bit and making some real progress towards wrapping everything up. It's crazy, isn't it? Don't worry guys, we've got a while to go yet, so if saying that makes you flip and mentally review all the things that still need to be addressed, don't worry, I got you. I'm not rushing to finish it *glances at fifty plus previous chapters* Trust me, that's NOT a problem. But none the less, all good things come to an end, and I'm looking forward to getting us all there one step at a time.

Again, I am so, so very sorry about Vetitian. I am making the final adjustments to chapter two, and it really, really will be ready by Wednesday. Hope yall have an awesome week and I'll see you next time!

~Mid