Morning everyone!

Man, it is nice to get back into the grove and post a morning update, and let me give a heads up, this is actually a long chapter! I wasn't aware how long it was until I pasted it over, saw the word count and almost laughed. I told myself that the perfect chapter length is about 5k-6k and have somewhat tried to stick close to that mark, and this chapter is just shy of 10k.

I don't normally like giving chapter spoilers, because yall know that as a writer there's not much I'm afraid of if it needs to be addressed, however I AM aware that people come from different backgrounds, different experiences, and different things that make us comfortable or uncomfortable. All that to say, this chapter has some potentially triggering material in it, so please take a few breaths, skim read if need be, and read at your own pace :)

Either way guys, its great to be back. Thanks for so graciously giving me my break, and yall enjoy this chapter! Its actually a fun one, regardless the above disclaimer.

…

…

When Petra woke up the next morning, she could hear the sound of fabric shifting behind her.

She knew better than to immediately turn off her side and seek out the noise, because it was likely Levi getting dressed, and unlike their large and spacious hotel rooms, there wasn't exactly a lot of room either of them could work with in terms of trying to be discreet about those things.

She rubbed her eyes, sitting up from the bed and keeping her back toward the noise, stretching her arms up above her head as she spoke, "Morning, Captain."

"Yeah." Came his response, and Petra gave a large yawn.

"You still getting dressed or…?"

"Yeah, but I'm dressed enough. It's fine."

Petra gave a lazy nod and readjusted her position on the bed so she could see him, looking over toward Levi as her eyes trailed over the ever-familiar white pants of the military uniform.

"You're planning on going to the Outpost today?" her eyes fell over the laid out pieces of the harness that had been set out over the bed, and Levi disappeared into the closet, coming back out a moment later with a few hangers that held his dress shirt, tan jacket, and the infamous riding cape embroidered with the Wings of Freedom. On his bare shoulder was a familiar bundle of plain white fabric, and Petra found a smile coming to her face as she anticipated getting to watch Levi tie his cravat again.

As he set the hangers across the bed, Petra found herself grinning as she spoke in sudden curiosity, "I'm curious Captain, do you always put your pants on first when you get dressed in the morning? Seems like that would make tucking in your shirt a little more difficult."

He gave a simple shake of his head, "Well you were stirring, and I knew you'd wake up pretty soon."

"Got it." Petra conceded with a nod of her head, and as Levi shifted, she found herself watching him with a lingering stare, and as Levi began pulling his white shirt off the hanger, Petra found herself nodding toward him, "Hey Captain, what's that?"

He hardly even flinched at her vague question, and continued sorting out his things as he tried to prepare for what would undoubtedly be a long day, "Gonna have to be more specific."

Petra's gaze narrowed on his skin and she nodded with focus, "That scar, on your side."

His lip twitched, "Still gonna have to be more specific."

After further inspection, Petra noticed that there were indeed multiple light scars that ran up the expanse of his right side, and she found herself giving an amused shake of her head at his tongue in cheek response. "Very well then Captain." She sat up onto her knees and moved a few paces toward him, jabbing him in the side with a pointed finger, "This scar, right here. What's it from?"

Levi paused from his task, standing up more fully and looking down at his side to where Petra was pointing, trying to sort through his various memories to see if he could recall the cause. Looking down to where she was pointing, he almost chuckled, "Oh that one? Right, that one's not so bad. Back before I was in the military, my associates and I got a few sets of 3DM harnesses and a number of gas tanks after intercepting a Military Police shipment. That was well and all, but none of us really knew how to use any of it. My flatmate Farlan, he and I spent a few days troubleshooting how to put the harness together and actually make the whole thing work."

Petra's mouth had dropped open and she looked at him in amazement, "Wait, so the 3DM gear – do you mean to tell me that you're self-taught? Levi that's…amazing…" she had mumbled to herself, and he merely shrugged.

"You can call it that, but those first few attempts aren't exactly what I would call amazing; that scar is a result of me trying to figure it out on my own. Within a few days I had managed to make a number of sweeping passes between buildings, but there was still a lot we didn't know and a lot of mistakes that were made in the troubleshooting process. For that one, I was midair and fell straight down after creating a poor and unstable anchor point, and I landed smackdab on someone's stairwell. It hurt like a bitch, but it wasn't really all that serious; I'm honestly surprised that it scarred at all because the fall was only like eight or so feet. I remember that Farlan laughed his ass off because he knew I was fine, and looking back, I'm pretty sure I threw a rock at him or something because he had to get stitches right along with me. He wouldn't talk to me for a week straight after that, but I still say it serves him right."

Petra was grinning ear to ear at his story, amused outright in hearing that there was something in Levi's life where he hadn't experienced instant success, and she found her eyes scanning over his chest with growing enthusiasm, "Okay…what about this one then?"

Levi held back a sigh, knowing that this was an unintentionally dangerous game she was trying to play, and he tried to keep his face relaxed, looking down to where she was pointing over his side and keeping his voice casual.

"That one?"

Petra nodded and he straightened up as he reached for his white shirt intentionally, somewhat trying to think of something vague to gloss over it, because that scar had resulted from a robbery that hadn't gone all that well, back when he was younger and was still learning the area; learning the finite balance of who was weak, who was strong, who would fight for their belongings, and who wouldn't.

He gave the matter a few moments of thought, and eventually shrugged, "Well, I suppose I learned what happens when you can't run faster than a flying glass bottle."

Petra's previous smile had fallen at once, a displeased and suspicious frown coming to her face at his notably vague response, and instead of reacting outright, she gave a simple nod as her eyes fell over him once again. She ran her finger over a faint line that fell across the expanse of his left arm, "And this one?"

He shrugged, "Oh, well...guess you could say that I learned why it's important to keep your friends close, and a knife even closer."

At Petra's abhorred look, Levi had mentally grimaced, having thought that what he had said wasn't all that bad and even put a bit of humor into the situation – he doubted she wanted to hear the actual details of what had caused the long and thin line that ran down the better half of his arm – but when she watched him with that look, he was certain that he had missed the mark completely.

Deciding to stop her while she was ahead, Levi turned his back toward her as he began to pull the shirt around him, deciding it was a rather good time to get dressed and cover up so Petra couldn't continue her little questionnaire because it was clear it would only upset her, and he had long made peace with it. As he opened the fabric, there was a slight tug on the material that prevented him from putting it on all the way, and he turned over his shoulder to find fierce green eyes watching him seriously.

As he held her gaze, watched the way she held his stare so stubbornly as though silently insisting that she continue because she could handle it, he gave a sigh and allowed her to set his shirt back on the bed. She moved all the more closer toward him, and he tensed when he felt her fingertips brush against the planes of his back, searching and feeling his skin for the various wounds that had marked his body over the years.

She found her thumb tracing a strange mark just over his hip, and Petra almost sighed in mental preparation, because the pale skin was odd; the semicircular mark resting just over his side and about the size of her thumb, "What's the story behind this one?"

That one, Levi knew the scar she was referencing without even having to glance down for the visual reminder. He took a breath, "That one, well…" he wasn't sure how much of his past he wanted to delve into, because to some extent Petra just wouldn't understand the hell that was being a mere child left to fend for themselves in the Underground. It was ironic, because people seemed to think that his ability to survive so many Titan encounters was nothing short of a miracle and yet…

He found himself smirking darkly, because that was nothing. Surviving the Underground, surviving the cruelness of humanity and against all odds, somehow making a name for himself - that was the real miracle.

"If every scar has a lesson, then that one comes in three-fold. First off, don't get caught. If you do get caught, make sure it's not by the wrong people, and if it is by the wrong people, pray to whatever fucking deity you believe in that they aren't sadistic fucks with an axe to grind."

"….What happened?"

Levi could only give a single, baleful shrug, "I got caught, plain and simple. Granted, I didn't know they were the lap dogs of a local gang leader, but you better believe they let me know that real fast. Honestly, that's probably the closest I've ever come to death before, in terms of a fight at least. I think there were…five of them, strong trained guys I mean. I was still pretty young and I had no chance. Once they had beaten me down, broke a lot of bones and kept swinging their fists until I was a barely conscious mess on the threads of survival, the lead asshole decided to put his cigar out right there on my side, so I'm pretty sure that's what you're seeing there. I've got a number of scars from that beating and it had me really shaken up back in the day, but in some ways, it was a good thing."

"A good thing?" Petra all but stammered from behind him in obvious disbelief, and Levi merely gave a serious, albeit cold and determined, guarded, nod; his expression dark and menacing as he stared ahead narrowly.

"I've never lost a fight since."

There was a long silence that followed his words, and when Petra finally found her ability to speak again, her voice was noticeably strained, "Cap…Levi – gods, how old were you?"

"Back then, maybe twelve or thirteen."

Petra's hand was almost trembling against his skin, and regardless the fact she was still behind him where he couldn't actually see her react to his words, Levi knew she was fighting off tears. He gave a heavy sigh and turned to face her directly, "Petra, don't. Don't cry for me because-"

He had reached out a hand toward her, intending to wipe her newly fallen tears away, and with a sudden venomous glare, Petra swatted his hand away with a shake of her head. He had watched her with admitted surprise, and Petra's glare remained just as steadfast, "Someone should cry about it, Captain! Someone should rage and be furious because you were just a child and no one even batted an eye! Dammit, you Captain – you once asked me why I fight, and you are the reason why. I fight because this is all so messed up and if no one does anything, then it's never going to change!"

As the Captain's gaze lingered on her, a sort of confusion in his face as though he just couldn't figure her out, Petra shook her head in continued fury, "The fact your childhood was stolen away from you, the fact that people are stepping on each other and reduced to pitting the strong against the weak for a mere chance at survival – I can't fucking stand it! I know I will probably die fighting before I ever see the results of what the Scouts are doing, but I can't…I have to do my part to try and change it because it's all so fucked up and I can't just sit by and watch humanity unravel like this."

Levi found his words were somewhat lost to him, admittedly surprised by the raw conviction she spoke with because he had no idea that Petra felt so strongly about the Scout's mission. It seemed that Petra still wasn't done, because she brought her hands to her eyes and groaned, "Gods, that's so fucked up Levi. You deserved so much better than that and…dammit! Gods, I'm so fucking livid right now. You were just a boy! Five men, beating a child half to death? I get it's the Underground, but why are the MP's so damn useless?! It's so, so wrong!"

Levi's expression sobered into something a little more studious as he watched her flatly, "Alright Petra, tell me what happened – or better said, tell me who happened, because no one is born with those ideologies, nor that bloodlust for vengeance that you've always had. Who's blood is it that's driving your actions? Your brother's? A little sister perhaps? Was it…your mom? I know you don't like to talk about it, some trauma or whatever, but I want to know because now you've got me curious. It's more than a mere conviction; no, this drive you have to fight for change, it's an obsession of yours, isn't it? That's why you wouldn't give up on the gas shortage, why you came to my squad, why nothing slows you down. You've got a score to settle because you feel guilty."

As Petra stiffened, and Levi's eyes narrowed all the more as his voice reverberated lowly, "Petra, why are you a Scout? Who was it?"

Petra sat back onto the bed with a defeated sigh, the fire leaving her at once as she allowed her memories to unwittingly flood her mind, "My best friend, Camille."

Levi's expression didn't change, for he wasn't surprised, and he continued watching her patiently as she struggled to pick her words. "We grew up together because her family lived right next door; only two houses down from where we are now. We did everything together and in some ways, I suppose I thought of her as the older sister I never actually had. To make a long story short, her father got sick and didn't get better, and when he passed away, that was it. They had used all their money on medicine that didn't work, and her mom didn't have any specific life skills to make an overnight career out of. I watched helplessly as their life went from being comfortable to desperate and hopeless in a mere few months. I mean, my dad helped where he could of course, but back then he wasn't making anything more than what we needed to just get by so we couldn't do all that much."

Petra gave a sad smile then, staring off into the distance as though reliving the event, "One day she came over because her mom had apparently found them work in a nearby city, just a few hours away, and so she was stopping in to say goodbye because they were leaving that night. Camille said that the job tended to get filled quickly; apparently it was a bit of a first come first serve sort of position, and so they didn't have time to waste because the employer wouldn't hold the position for either of them. She told me that it was a cleaning job that both her mom and her could do, where the pay was decent, and the job didn't require any specific set of skills other than the willingness to work."

Levi stiffened at her words outright, knowing full well where this story was headed, and Petra found herself smirking beside herself after seeing the Captain's grimaced reaction, "Yeah. Of course now I can see it all as a huge red flag, but at the time I was young and really had no idea what they were walking into." Petra paused and her smile fell as a pensive look tightened her expression, "Perhaps the saddest thing when I think back on it all, is that both Camille and her mom were old enough to know the danger they might be walking into. I can only guess that they were so desperate they took the chance anyway because in some ways, I suppose they were dead either way. They were already beginning to starve to death here where they were running out of time, and they knew it."

Petra's eyes began to burn at the memories and she shook her head, forcing strength into her voice as she continued, "Either way, Camille moved away with her mom that night and I thought nothing of it. Two months later, I came back from school and the Military Police were at the house waiting. They had found a body, and needed someone to confirm if it was her or not. To my knowledge, her mom was never found, and to this day I still wonder if she's still out there, if she got away, or if she died with Camille. The MP's wanted me to tell them everything I knew about the job they were offered, where they were going, if they had any contacts, if anyone had tried contacting me considering I was a friend of hers from the same neighborhood."

Petra's voice lost its strength and she brought a hand to her mouth, shaking her head in horror and struggling to speak of the details without letting her memories overwhelm her, "I hadn't seen a dead body before, but even if I had, nothing could have prepared me for that. There were burns, cuts; bruising and swelling so bad that I couldn't even recognize her face, so they had me take an even closer look at her body for any birthmarks I could recognize, scars – anything to confirm that it was her and that the out of control human trafficking ring had in fact targeted our town. All that to say, it was clear she had been abused in almost every way imaginable, and as I thought about her life, our friendship, everything she had done for me, the kind of person she was, and how life had just fucked her over for no good reason, I suppose something inside of me just…broke."

Petra was nervously fiddling with the fabric of her night shirt, all but mumbling to herself as though trying to justify her entire life in a single sentence, "I know that a more logical person would have joined the military police or maybe partnered with an organization meant to provide relief to trafficked victims but…some part of me knew deep down that those groups couldn't do a damn thing for my friend, nor anyone else, and I wanted justice."

Her voice was suddenly shaking with obvious malignance, a low sort of malice to her words as she spoke in a fiery whisper, "Real justice that lasted longer than a single lifetime or the conviction of a few seedy, despicable men. I wanted to earn back her blood drop for fucking drop - attack right at the source of it all - and that led me to the Scouts where I've never looked back." Petra took a breath and took a moment to collect her thoughts, her voice more pensive as she spoke, "As long as we're trapped in the Walls, as long as humanity is forced to reside here where there are so little resources, where children are left fatherless, families starve to death no matter how hard they work, where no one has a true future, and this whole place is just a hopeless mess of twisted, dog eat dog depravity then…what happened to Camille will keep happening again and again and I can't accept that kind of thing sitting down. I just can't."

As a single tear fell down the side of her face, Petra gave a groan and wiped it away irritably with the side of her arm. Her eyes met the Captain's, a wild and desperate green, her eyes almost begging him to understand because it seemed some part of her couldn't forgive herself for letting her friend walk down such a path. For whatever reason, she was seeking his acknowledgement – wanting him to understand why she had made such a choice.

There was a long stillness that came between the pair, and Petra watched Levi with tearful, broken conviction, "Captain…please, tell me that we're going to actually win this thing, when it's all said and done? This is…actually working, where we're making progress for humanity? We're going to fight the Titans, and carve out new futures for everyone – with dreams and memories and lives that can't be stolen away. If not…your childhood, my friend, everything I've been fighting for up till now, will have all been a waste and my father will have been right about me; about everything. It's not about proving him wrong, this is bigger than that, but…I can't help but wonder, what if he's right? What if I am just wasting my time, because I'm not good enough? I feel like I barely fit the bill of what a proper soldier should look like; I focus on the wrong things, I get jealous of everyone else's talents, I don't follow the orders of my Captain, and I act selfishly, even though I don't mean to. What if the best thing I could ever do for the Scouts, is to just get out of the way?"

Levi pulled Petra into his arms at once, his own voice shaking from the conviction he felt, because Petra – her heart – her fierceness, her gentle spirit that had been provoked into taking up arms and fighting in a world that seemed so unfitting for someone like her, a truly compassionate and tenderhearted woman, in truth he had no idea what to do with the complicated series of thoughts and gut reactions that pulled at his mind every which way. He was shocked to hear her speak of herself so poorly, when all three factions of the military were in a silent, bureaucratic war to have her skills for their own – he was pleased and a little awe struck that Petra finally trusted him enough to speak of her past; to speak of the triggering event that had led her toward the Scout Regiment – he was furious that her father had made such a point of belittling her at every turn that she had no self-confidence left to speak of – and at the same time, he was proud.

So, so unbelievably damn proud of the woman who had been born into a considerably blessed life; born with talent and promise and beauty and wit. Her life could have been so easy and overwhelmingly charmed, beautiful and luxurious with men fawning over her and trying to buy her affections, and yet she had chosen to put it all aside. Apparently having a bright future only to herself while others suffered under her heel just wasn't appealing to her.

He found his arms tightening around her, for reasons he was unsure of, and he wasn't surprised one bit when Petra wrapped around him desperately in return, her body shaking as she no doubt relived the memories that still haunted her. He could feel her tears against his skin, hear her quiet gasps as she cried, and he felt a sort of sigh leave him, because there were times he forgot how tenderhearted she truly was.

"Fuck, woman…" he whispered, somewhat leaning down to better meet her because from her seated position on the bed and with the fact he was standing, it was making the angle a little odd between them. "If a woman like you were to step down and come back here – quilting or bussing tables if I remember correctly – it would be such a fucking waste. You have motive, reason to fight, and no, I don't think you're wasting your time in the Scouts. We are making a difference, so don't count yourself out because the Scouts need you now more than ever. I warned you earlier that this would happen you know; you've made yourself damn well irreplaceable and I told you that you should be better prepared for it."

At his extremely high praise, Petra pushed herself back slightly, checking his expression as though suspicious he was just saying what she needed to hear instead of the actual truth, and Levi almost groaned. His expression was flat at her obvious skepticism, and he leaned toward her all the more until his nose was against the side of her face; his volume dropping to a low hum, "You don't think so, huh? Well tough, because that sort of thing's not up to you to decide. I'm your Captain, Erwin's right-hand man, and I happen to know what I'm talking about. We'd be damn hard pressed to find someone as motivated as you that also has that same analytical mind you do."

Petra fell perfectly still at his sudden closeness, and Levi wrapped his hands into her hair, moving to push his lips against hers with a frustrated sigh. He pulled her against him all the more as he dug his fingers into her back and pushed her head toward him to meet his kiss, irritated and entranced, frustrated and desperate, and gods…this woman was something else.

"Honestly Petra, you really should listen to me for a fucking change of pace – I might actually surprise you."

She gave a slight nod against his thin lips as Levi moved them both forward and pressed her back into the bed as he crawled on top of her purposefully. He was leaning into her, a desperation to his actions as he moved his body against hers and pressed her into the mattress with intentional force. Petra allowed herself to become lost in his touch; allowed him to clear the thoughts from her mind, allowed his kiss to breathe confidence back into her; more grateful than words could ever say for him, because to have Levi – to have her own Captain, the man who had chosen her time and time again, tell her that she was worthwhile, that her skills were special and that he was pleased with who she already was, and not for who she 'could' be…

It almost made her dare to believe him.

…

…

Not too much later, Petra and Levi had left her bedroom, a bright smile over Petra's face and a begrudging, stubborn and awkward smile over the Captain's, because after a hectic few days, after a less than good start to kicking off things with her father, their little impromptu make out session had been more than beneficial for both of them.

"Morning Baby!" her father greeted from the kitchen table as they walked into the main part of the house, the older man looking up from his newspaper and raising his coffee cup in greeting. His smile fell as Levi followed in behind Petra, and he gave a muted nod as he looked toward Levi seriously, "And morning to you, as well."

While his greeting had been admittedly stiff, Petra supposed it was a start.

Levi moved toward the entryway of the house, grabbing his boots out from the walkway and moving back toward the couch as he prepared to put on his riding boots and leave for the day. Aside from the already promising conversation and her father's ice-cold stare, Levi's use of the outpost came at a cost and he did not like to have unpaid debts lingering over his head, friendly or otherwise.

The agreement Erwin had arranged with the Garrison was simple – he could come and go to the Outpost as he pleased, train and use their materials without issue or the pressing need for documentation, and in return, he would provide the Garrison Officers a full three days' worth of training and hands on instruction regarding Petra's new usage material.

Considering it was exactly what he had been doing back home, it was just another drop in the bucket and he was eager to have his hours fulfilled as soon as possible so he could focus on his own personal skills that needed some sharpening.

"The Scout's Uniform?" her father questioned with a raised brow, looking to where Levi was seated then back toward Petra for an explanation.

She looked through the cupboards and grabbed out two coffee cups with a nod, "Yeah, Captain plans to train at the Garrison outpost, so he'll be gone for a while."

"Oh right, you mentioned that yesterday." Her father looked toward Levi and nodded, "You know where you're going lad?"

Levi pulled a boot on and gave a single nod, "It's east of the town."

"Yeah, take a left onto the main road and follow that straight out of town. At the fork, probably about two miles out, take a left and follow that to the Outpost. I'd say follow the signs, but they got taken out by a windstorm so I wouldn't count on them to lead your way out there."

Levi gave a single nod, and the older man looked back toward Petra, shooting her a small wink because the girl's mouth had dropped open in surprise, amazed at the fact that the two men were actually getting along so it seemed. Her surprise melted into the smallest of smiles, and her father looked back into his newspaper with a pleased grin, turning a page and continuing to converse further, "Wouldn't you know it, I've actually been out there a few times myself; fixing up some of the bedframes that got warped and damaged over the years. Nice little area."

Petra moved toward the coffee pot and poured a single cup of coffee, "You got contracted by the Garrison? Dad, that's great! You know if you were to try and build a good relationship with them, you'd probably find them to be repeat customers. I know back home we've got a few local townsmen that we contract when it comes to plumbing and repairs because it's easier working with them than it is trying to get the government involved for some minor thing. Of course, you'd have to drop your bad attitude about the military, but it'd be a good source of income if you can nab something more permanent. Seasonal maintenance, laundry lists of simple repairs they can give you each quarter – it'd be easy work for you that's repetitive and local. I'm sure you don't want to hear it Dad, but you're not as young as you used to be, so the less you have to travel for work, the better."

Her father looked over the edge of the paper and watched in silent interest as Petra brought a cup of coffee toward the man she had brought home with her, her 'husband', and her voice was quieter as she spoke softly to him specifically, "Here, Captain."

"Oh, uh…thanks."

Her father watched as Petra looked her Captain over, frowning as though just now realizing that she wasn't helping him so much as inconveniencing him in his attempts to leave for the day and she gave a sigh, "Shoot, you're packing up to leave, huh? Let me, uh, here, I'll just put this in a thermos and-"

"Petra, it's fine. I'm not in a hurry, so I'll just drink it here. Ten minutes won't set me back all that much."

"Are you sure? I don't mind, Captain. I know you worked out that deal with them so if-"

"Petra."

The man stared at her with a flat expression, one that to him seemed downright cruel, but it seemed Petra saw it in a different light completely, because a shy smile came to her face and she gave a cautious nod and set the coffee cup on the nearby end table, "Okay."

She walked away with that smile still on her lips, and her father didn't miss it when the Captain's eyes trailed her form in a mix of want and contentment, his eyes falling down from her back to her hips, before finally settling on her rear. Her father cleared his throat sternly, not looking toward the Captain who had all but jolted at the sound, but rather toward his daughter who was now taking the time to fix her own cup of coffee, completely unaware of her Captain's wandering gaze.

"That's certainly true Baby, and I can't afford to turn away honest paying customers. I may not be a big fan of the military, but none the less, I'll admit that when I was over there and getting to watch them all train and fly around in the air, it was a real sight - most of the soldiers seemed to be alright guys too. The gear you guys use to get around like that, it looks like it would be fun."

Petra turned toward him and grinned, "The 3DM gear? Yeah, I guess it is pretty fun in some ways, when you get the hang of it at least. I think the first time I got to use it for real, I'm pretty sure I laughed the whole time because it felt surreal, kinda like I really was flying. It was so exhilarating, and I was so afraid I'd fall, but even still I had a blast. When I get back home, I think that's the first thing I'm going to do. Uh, I mean, if…if Captain says it's okay of course."

"We'll see. You've got a lot to prove before I'll let you come within ten feet of your harness, so don't get too ahead of yourself." Came the man's gruff reply, and Petra's grin only widened because apparently...that was a funny response, to her at least?

Her father almost chuckled at the couple's strange dynamic, because it was clear his daughter thought an awful lot of the young Captain, and in return, it was obvious that his daughter had captivated the man's interest because for every step she took, the man was silently observing her every action with an intensity that was almost bordering on the obsessive. "Honestly Princess, you're just an adrenaline junkie is all. Your mother was a lot more subdued back when she was your age. She'd probably accuse me of raising a wild child is she ever saw you flying in the treetops like that."

Petra rolled her eyes and took a sip of her coffee, a light tone of amused sarcasm in her response, "Right. Me, getting up at six am, taking orders from my Captain with lights out and a curfew and a daily list of scheduled responsibilities – I'm an unruly wild child with no discipline to be sure. I'm sure mom would be completely horrified."

Petra held her coffee cup in her hands, intending to move back toward the living room so she could sit beside the Captain before he left for the day, but her father gave her a surveying look of concern and spoke in clear confusion as something caught his eye.

"Hey Baby, wait. Come here for a sec, will ya?"

Petra blinked at the way his eyes narrowed in worry, but still did as he said and walked toward her father in confusion.

When she set her coffee cup down on the table and stood in front of him, her father curled a finger as though instructing her to come even closer, and Petra leaned toward him curiously, almost flinching when her father lightly traced his fingers over the side of her neck with a still puzzled expression across his face.

"Baby, what is-" His thumb traced the soft skin of her neck in wonder, seeing a mark or scratch or a red and irritated something against the dip of her skin – and when he finally realized what he was looking at, an apparent sort of love bite that had left a few red splotches over her skin, the man's eyes narrowed and he leaned to one side, looking past Petra as he growled outright, "Ackerman!"

Levi tried not to groan at the man's timbre, not having known what the man was irritated about and certain that he hadn't done anything in the mere ten seconds he had been in the room that would have caused such conflict. He almost growled in return, "What, Ral?"

"What do you mean 'what?' What did I just say last night? Let me remind you, I told you to keep your filthy hands off my daughter, and here she walks out the very next day with that on her neck! You want to tell me that it was someone else who put it there?"

Petra's eyes had widened at her father's words, and she stood up fully in sudden embarrassment, slapping a hand around the side of her neck as she looked toward Levi in alarm and silent question. Admittedly, he wasn't sure how she wanted him to respond, because while it wasn't his outright goal per say, for the most part Levi certainly didn't mind leaving marks, and he hoped that Petra didn't mind it either. Practically speaking, after being her Captain for years, he had learned that she tended to bruise and mark rather easily, so a mark here or there really just seemed inevitable to him, even if he was being careful.

Even still, he certainly hadn't been trying to leave marks earlier, but considering it was only five minutes ago that he had her pressed up into the bed, had been nipping at her skin and pulling desperately at her clothes with an admitted bit of force, because fucking hell these two weeks would never end – he could see where her skin would still be a little flushed and telling; red and irritated from where he had bitten into her skin with his whittling remnants of restraint.

Levi gave a long and flat stare toward her father, not sure what the man expected him to say, because if he wanted an apology, he wasn't fucking going to get it and he'd just have to make peace with that. Petra was his wife, and as long as she consented, then that's all he needed to know.

The older man stood up from his chair, setting his newspaper down on the table with a sort of smack and he crossed his arms in obvious resentment, "So, you can't even last one night? Have you no self-control, Ackerman? Is that why you married her in the first place, just to get in her pants when she couldn't turn you away? Just how blunt do I have to be for you to get it? I don't care that you're married, I don't care if she's your type or if it's convenient or whatever justification you come up with – while you're in my house, you will keep your hands off my daughter!"

At his scathing words, Levi felt an equal mix of outrage and sheer…amusement, because damn, he didn't think he'd be having this conversation today. Or ever. He was a grown ass man, in his thirties, and this was regarding his wife, who was in her mid-twenties. Yet here he was, under her dad's roof and getting chewed out over a hickey, as though they were both some punk teenagers that had been caught messing around after school let out.

"Dad!" Petra suddenly spoke up in offense, looking toward Levi for a moment longer, then back to her father, "You've got the wrong idea. Sure, we were maybe a little preoccupied a bit ago, but that's none of your business. Now granted, I get this is your house Dad - and we'll be respectful of that - but I won't sit here and just listen to you insult his integrity like this. If you must know, Levi and I…we haven't been intimate like that before, so you can take that little theory of yours right back because he's more than proved himself and he's not just here to get in my pants. He's not some animal, and he knows how to be respectful. Let's just leave it at that and move on with our day."

At Petra's explanation, her father stood up in sudden disbelief, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to come to terms with what Petra stated. He pointed between them, a serious expression coming to his face because he had heard her, but he somewhat struggled to believe her because he had seen them last night, at least…he thought he had, anyway. He had seen the way the man had held her against him, the way his daughter had fallen into his touch so easily, and the way the Captain's eyes had darkened with lust as he looked down her body with clear desire – the way he had been ogling his daughter as she walked away just now.

Even with that though…the fact that they apparently hadn't been together in such a way - it was weird. Really weird. Had that all been for show?

Maybe he had misunderstood their relationship entirely?

He held up a hand, admittedly confused, "Wait a minute Princess, you mean to tell me that you both have been married now, for six months, and the two of you haven't slept together? For real? And what's more, you're trying to tell me that you're both…okay with that?"

Petra groaned, "Dad, I told you that we got married a bit on the fly because of the time crunch you left us in. It's not that Levi isn't….but I really didn't look at him in that way because he's my Captain and we didn't want to complicate things by…" Petra held up a hand and shook her head dramatically as her face began to turn red, "You know what, no, I can't talk to you about these things Dad. It's weird. It's too weird. Point is, no, we haven't. And that's okay, because again, it's really none of your business."

Levi had been staring into the floor from where he had been sitting in the living room, and he found a smirk coming to his lips at Petra's little tirade, not sure if there was anything he even needed to add to it, because not surprisingly, Petra could speak well enough for the both of them so it seemed.

A moment of silence passed, and Petra's father had turned back to the table and his coffee cup, watching Levi with a narrowed stare and shaking his head, "Still, six months Princess? I mean, I'm just going to have to say it…are you sure he ain't gay? He must be, right? I mean he's pretty…well, particular, and even gay men can make out with a gal, so it stands to reason that-"

"Gay?" Petra had shrieked with wide eyes, turning around in a flash and glaring at her father outright, "Dad, of all the insensitive, ridiculous-"

Levi was waiting to hear it then, irritated but barely biting back a smirk as he anticipated hearing exactly what Petra would say next because with how outspoken the ginger was, with the fact her father was all but egging them on with his snide comments, he was certain that this sudden discussion would prove to be rather entertaining. Petra knew from experience that he found women – specifically her – to be extremely attractive, and by now, he was certain he had given her plenty of talking points to back it up. She could talk about how he had pressed her up against the wall; the way his itchy little fingers found their way under her clothes so easily in the night, the way he held her and the way he so clearly wanted her in every possible way because it's not like he was being all that subtle about it anymore.

Sure, it might be a little weird to hear her talk about those details right in front of her old man, but in this situation, her father was all but asking for it and he wouldn't mind Petra shocking him into silence. Like she had said, it was none of his damn business to start with, so her dad claiming that he must be gay since they hadn't slept together yet, just wasn't fair. If the man wanted to know exactly how he kissed his daughter, exactly how he touched her and the fact that yeah, he did look at his 'little girl' as a woman and with Maria as his witness, it was only a matter of time until he showed Petra exactly how 'gay' he was – then by all fucking means.

"Insulting, ignorant and close-minded insinuations!" Petra hissed in finality, taking a breath and pointing across the room toward him dramatically, and Levi almost sat back into the couch, smugly, because here it was; Petra's outspoken, unneeded and yet greatly anticipated defense. Petra's face was turning red and she shook her head furiously, taking a deep breath as she continued in sheer indignance, "I'll have you know Dad, that it doesn't matter what gender Levi is or isn't attracted to! Who cares if he's into men, because it doesn't change a thing!"

Levi felt his blood run cold and his smugness turn to complete shock because…wait, what?

Levi looked toward Petra in sudden alarm, almost shaking his head and trying to mentally tell her that whatever the hell she was saying, it was not helping her father's opinion of him and it was only making it worse and what the actual fuck, woman? Unfortunately, Petra didn't catch his wide eyed, horrified stare because, the fuck was she even saying, and Petra continued on just as hotly, "To reiterate, Levi doesn't need to try and get in my pants or whatever because he's not like that! Levi is perfectly respectful and patient, he doesn't push the envelope and-"

As her father's expression changed and he looked over toward him directly with narrowed green eyes, Levi coughed in admitted discomfort because Petra was making no damn sense and this was not painting him in the manner he had expected. He looked toward her father and cleared his throat because it was getting hard to speak, "No, I do. I push that envelope, hard. You said it yourself Ral; I can't keep my hands off her."

At Levi's sudden correction, Petra shot him a waspish glare of her own, because she was trying to convince her father that he wasn't just some pervert that couldn't control his baser urges, and Levi was shooting her efforts straight to hell. She looked back toward her Dad with a quick shake of her head, her voice shrill as she tried again, "No, he's lying! I uh, well…Oh! Last month Dad, we spent like no time together, and not a peck on the cheek, nothing at all, and it was fine! Levi wasn't bothered by it in the least! He's the perfect gentleman Dad, really."

Her father looked from Petra, then slowly, slowly back toward Levi, his eyes showing an ever-present mix of surprise and underlying suspicion, "…A whole month, you say Baby? That true, Ackerman?"

Levi's mouth was hanging open as Petra's words continued to baffle him all the more because she knew full well that no, he was not in fact gay, and he found himself practically stuttering, trying to find something he could grasp onto to defend himself, without having to go so far as to consummate their marriage here and now just to prove a point.

He looked toward Petra and cleared his throat, "Not entirely. Maybe she's too embarrassed to say it, but not so long ago she stayed in my room all night, right in my bed no less. It was a good night."

The ginger's face blanched, "Wait, Dad that's not how it sounds! Nothing happened, it was just an accident!"

"Didn't feel like an accident to me."

"Captain!"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not wrong-"

"Well there you have it."

"But you're making it out to be more than it was, and you know it! Don't be gross."

He rolled his eyes bitterly, and the pair continued glaring daggers at each other.

Her father watched their muted staring contest; watched as Petra's mouth fell open and she gave an incredulous stare toward her Captain; watched as the man merely gave her an equally intense stare in return, and Petra rolled her eyes with a huff of her own. The older man shook his head and sank back into his chair in overwhelming disbelief, "I don't believe this. You really are gay, aren't you boy? Sweet Maria, I'm never getting grandchildren."

"Dad, all you need to know is that Levi is a good man that keeps his hands to himself!"

"Princess, he keeps his hands to himself because he's gay!"

"I'm not fucking gay." Levi corrected with a groan, allowing his head to fall into his hands as he rubbed his temples in sudden exhaustion.

"Right, right. So you can make out with my daughter, mark her up like this for, what, mere show, but you can't actually go all the way? You trying to tell me that in six months, the two of you just haven't had the time? Not buying it, lad."

"Well you don't have to buy it because those details don't concern you. Petra's my wife-"

Her father snorted and shook his head darkly, "Yeah, sure she is - on paper maybe, but nothing more. You're just her pretend husband, and deep-down lad, you know it, same as me."

At the harsh words spoken, the irony and sheer bitter truth of what was said; words that had once been a mere inside joke between them but had now been twisted into something more harrowing and dismissive, Levi pressed his lips together as something cold and weighty fell across his chest like a direct blow. While it had only been a moment, a mere fraction of a second, something rather reminiscent of pain flashed across Levi's face, and Petra instantly stepped further toward her father, falling between the two men as she spoke in a violent whisper.

Her father may have missed the subtle shift in the Captain's gaze, watched the spark that left his eyes, but to Petra, it couldn't have been more evident and she was livid.

"Dad. You have no right, no right, to judge Levi. He's…" Petra paused and looked over her shoulder, seeing that her Captain was intentionally looking into the floor, and Petra clenched her fists because she knew that Levi would never show it, never say a word or admit it to her face, but even still…Levi was legitimately upset by her father's callus words.

"Frankly Dad, I can tell you flat out that he's not gay. Maybe we're not as well behaved as I'm trying to claim, so if you want the dirty details then I can lay them out for you bit by bit, but something tells me you don't want to hear it, and on that note, we've all got better things we could be doing with our time than discuss something like this. You've got that table to finish up, right? Best get to it because you can't miss your deadline, nor the pay cut that comes with it in the event that you're late."

Her father gave a slow, bitter nod, and Petra turned around seriously to face her Captain next, "And Captain, while you're gone at the Outpost, is there any specific exercise or training that you want me to do today? I've kinda got all day so…it's your call. Just tell me what to do and I'll-"

Levi merely shook his head, "No. This is the first full day where you don't need to ride or travel, so just take it easy. We'll start maybe tomorrow, if you're feeling up to it and finally well rested. Nothing too exciting; just stretches mostly. We'll ease you back into something more traditional when you're ready for it."

Petra nodded and Levi sat up from the couch with a curt exhale, avoiding her father's heavy gaze as he focused on Petra with a passing glance, "I'm going to head out now. Don't wait up for me tonight – I told you that I've got some training obligations at the Outpost, so I imagine I'll be out there running drills and leading classroom discussions well into the evening. I might be able to sneak away sometime after dinner, but if it gets late enough, I may just crash there instead. Either way, I'll be back sometime tomorrow night at the latest; just depends."

Without further delay, Levi moved toward the door and walked out of the house, a tense and heavy silence falling behind him from the weight of what had been said – from the weight of what hadn't. As Petra listened to the front door open and close, listened to the sound of her Captain's footsteps as he moved around the house, her eyebrows pulled down in sudden determination and she found herself chasing after him.

Naturally it hadn't taken her long to meet him, but even still, Levi's eyes were wide once he saw the intense expression across Petra's face as she came up from behind him and grabbed his jacket. Her wild green eyes were a breathtaking mix of emotion, and she whispered with an equally fierce tone as Levi struggled to keep her gaze.

"Don't."

She had stopped a few feet in front of him and gave a firm shake of her head as Levi conveniently focused on the stable with a sort of impatience, "Captain, I…what my Dad said back there, please don't…"

For once, Petra realized she didn't even know how to verbalize her fears. She only knew that the simple statement, the callout from her father that he wasn't her true husband, it had legitimately struck a nerve with him, had somehow validated all of his fears about being such a man in her life, and as a result, Levi was intentionally withdrawing away from her because…he felt ashamed of himself, she realized.

Her expression hardened when Levi looked back toward the stable, a stubborn expression on his face that confirmed he would not be talking about it further, and on sudden impulse, Petra grabbed him by the cravat and gave the fabric a hard yank, causing Levi to be pulled toward her with demanding force. She pushed her lips against his, still holding the fabric around his neck in a death grip, and it was obvious she had no intention of letting him go anytime soon because her other arm moved around his back and she leaned against him purposefully. Her kiss was one that spoke of fury and outrage, an outright demand that he kiss her back and that he remember all it was between them because she simply wouldn't permit him to leave like this.

Petra almost gasped when Levi returned her kiss, because she thought she had been passionate and demanding, but as Levi's lips moved against her own and his own hands fisted into the fabric of her clothes with a tight grip that threatened to break the seams, she almost whimpered as she melted against him; giving a quiet moan into his lips at his returned ferocity that engulfed her own so completely.

It was Levi who eventually pulled away, his shoulders bobbing up and down as he fought for breath, and Petra gave a breathless exhale of her own, "Levi, please just…I know I can't keep you. I know that. But even still, if you make a habit of leaving like this – to the Outpost, to your meetings, to wherever then…damn, I'm just, I guess I'm afraid you won't come back to me. I can't control your life; I'm not trying to but I…I guess I can only ask, and let you decide the rest. I know my Dad's an ass, and I know that these conversations are belittling for you on so many levels but...please. Don't make a habit of walking away and leaving me guessing. Come back tonight, please."

Levi swallowed, thinking her request over and taking a step past her without a word.

"Captain…?" Petra whispered again, looking down into the ground as a silence fell between them, and there was a soft exhale.

"You really are such a selfish girl. I know you were hoping but…I don't like him, Petra."

"…I know."

Levi placed a hand on her shoulder, not looking at her as he gave a single nod, "Tonight, I'll come back. Late. So…you won't have to wonder. I'll be back before you wake up in the morning."

Levi continued on without another word, walking toward the stable and preparing his horse; feeling Petra's lingering stare for some time until he moved off the property and was out on the main road. Regardless his explanation, regardless the fact he had previously instructed her to not wait up for him, Levi knew full well that Petra would be wide awake and waiting anxiously for his return. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.

He could only hope that her bastard of a father wouldn't be.

…

End of Chapter

…

Whew, long chapter indeed!

Of course, I could talk about this chapter for a long, long time, as I could with every chapter haha, but some part of me doesn't even know where to start because to me, there just really is so much. I think for me /personally/ what I enjoy about this chapter is its highlighting how well Petra and Levi are actually getting a long now, without either of them really even realizing it. In a place where they are being attacked as a couple, then individually, then personally – it makes it so they really have no one else to depend on or turn to, because they don't have other resources or allies.

But. I'll just keep my notes to one paragraph instead of fifty haha. Thanks guys, Vetitian will be up on Wednesday! See yall at the next update!

~Mid