Hey everyone!
Sorry for the late upload, but it's kinda crazy over here? Woke up and found out that our wifi is down, called the company and apparently is an outage for like everyone in our area? All that to say, I don't have hotspot and when it's down for everyone…where else can you go? So yeeeeaahh, trying to figure out how to get this chapter online has been a little tricky.
All that to say, I'm uploading by manually transferring this chapter onto my phone, and then going about it like that, so forgive me if things end up formatting differently as its harder to spot check on my phone vs my notebook. Either way, again my deepest apologies for having to keep yall waiting longer than I had anticipated.
Enjoy the read!
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...
The morning had come too soon, and Petra grabbed Levi's wrist, giving a tired sigh and pulling his slack arm off of her so she could sit up from the bed. She gave an exhausted yawn, stretching her arms above her head and not even flinching when the sheet slipped off her body, cool air hitting her skin at once and she gave a quiet sigh.
"Hey Captain, let's get up for the day, okay?"
Levi watched her with a quirked eyebrow, his eyes trailing up her form as he responded, "…Is that what you want?"
She gave him a tired smile and nodded, "Yeah. Don't take this the wrong way, but it's been a full twenty-four hours of getting pounded by Humanity's Strongest, and I'm a little worse for wear. Let me cook you breakfast, and then if you maybe want to check out the Garrison to see how the Outpost is doing? I'm not trying to kick you out, but you told me that you need to keep your skills sharp and I'm going to hold you to it as that's no laughing matter. As for me, while you're out I think I'll stretch out a little, maybe do some of the routines you left behind, and just try to loosen up because I'm pretty sore. When you get back – well, I think I'll have caught my second wind so don't be surprised when I jump you."
Levi sat up, nodding his head as he moved behind her, kissing her neck and caressing her sides with light traces of his fingertips, "Looking forward to it."
Petra gave a soft mewl, and Levi smelled her hair with a quiet inhale, "Frankly I don't want to leave, but you're right. I'm not sure if the Outpost will be opened back up yet, but if it is, I'll spend a few hours out there – not too long as I don't want to linger needlessly, but I'll be there long enough to get the job done and work up a sweat. I'll be back just as soon as I'm able, so don't push it because your wrist is still swollen, and you don't want your ankle giving out beneath you either."
Petra nodded in agreement, and Levi had moved up from the bed, stealing one last glance at her bare body and moving out of the room with a sigh because she was right of course, he couldn't perpetually put off his training just to indulge in his carnal desires and yet…that was easier said than done. Petra was so damn good, he was in absolute rapture each moment he got to entwine his body with hers, and he was certain that he could spend a lifetime at her side with no regrets.
He walked down the hall and moved toward the linen closet, grabbing a towel and moving toward the bathroom so he could clean up and prepare for an afternoon of training – certain that it was going to be a long, miserable start to the day.
….
…
Petra had been doing her basic conditioning exercises when some shuffling was heard behind her.
She grinned at once, turning around and expecting to see Levi pulling his horse behind him after finally returning from the Garrison, expecting to see a smirk on his lips and a smolder in his gaze that promised he was only a few minutes away from undressing her then and there to make up for the lost afternoon, however her smile fell into a suspicious, guarded stare when she noticed that it was actually Timmy that was suddenly approaching her.
She made a face of irritation, and she crossed her arms as sudden malice overcame her because seeing him now, seeing the casual expression on his face; knowing that for this whole week he had simply been playing her – she wasn't exactly happy to see him and she held up her head in sudden distaste.
"Timmy…Dad's not here. He left yesterday morning."
Timmy continued moving onto the property just the same and he nodded, "Yeah, I figured that might be the case. I was actually here to see you. Figured you might be bored now that your Dad's gone, so I thought we could spend the day together. Your Captain's off at the Outpost I presume, and what's more, he doesn't usually get back till around dinner time, right? That's a whole lot of time to kill all by yourself, Pet. Come on, how about you get changed out of those workout clothes, and you and I can go out – my treat. You maybe want to grab lunch? Mrs. Goldstein still makes the best wraps in town, and I know she'd love to see you. Just you and me; it'll be like old times."
Petra watched him narrowly and moved back into her previous stance with a passing glance, "Levi gave me some exercise routines to complete, so I'll have to pass."
Seeing her notably cold expression, the blonde gave a laugh, "Uh oh, looks like someone's in a bad mood today. All the more reason that you should kick back a little; come on, let me take you out! I know you take your exercising really seriously, but you could stand to relax a little. You've been so on edge these past few days, and I saw how angry the Captain was a few days back. It's okay Pet, you can tell me - is he upsetting you?"
Petra shook her head and all but rolled her eyes because like Levi said, he really was a snake. She jabbed her fist into the air and huffed, "Try the other way around. You've really got a lot of nerve Timmy, showing up here like this and asking me out on a 'casual' outing like this when we both know it's a date you're after. What I don't understand is the fact that you know I'm married now. The hell are you trying to do?"
Her friend paused in step, his eyes widening for only a moment, and then the blonde watched her with a serious stare, "What am I trying to do? What a frightening question. Tell me, what is it that you think I'm trying to do here, Pet?"
At his guarded response, Petra all but growled as she stormed off toward the side of the house, "How the hell should I know? And don't answer my question with a question, because you know damn well what I'm talking about! Levi. My marriage, everything – it's all because of you! You're still stuck on our relationship that ended almost ten years ago, Timmy – Ten! – and so you fed my dad all the legal jargon and know how, because you know he wanted me home, and you knew you could get him to sign whatever you told him to if it meant I'd come back. What, you figured that I'd come home and be so distraught that I'd just collapse into your arms? You're an idiot."
Timmy followed after her in silence, his expression showing a trace amount of amusement at her line of questions, and Petra continued ranting all the more, grabbing a towel and wiping down her forehead as she continued just as hotly, "And now here you are, parading around like you're such a 'good friend' when in reality, this whole mess is entirely your fault - I got married because your stupid idea forced my hand! Why the hell would you do that to me? I'm a person Timmy, not a toy that you can jerk around and manipulate!"
Petra crossed her arms and leaned against the side of the house, watching him furiously as she gave him a narrowed glare, "But considering the outcome of your little stunt, I'd have to say it serves you right, you fucking manipulative prick."
Timmy watched Petra for a long moment and sighed, holding up a hand as though trying to calm her anger because it was obvious she was more than a little furious with him, "Alright…I'll admit, things didn't go exactly how I had hoped they would but..."
Petra snorted bitterly, "Yeah, no shit. Honestly you should just get lost; I've got nothing to say to you and Levi doesn't want me being around you because you're a two-faced liar who hung me out to dry."
Timmy sighed and continued with a sudden desperation in his voice as he turned to face her more directly, "Look, I'm sorry you're mad, but I didn't do all that work just to give up when you're finally back home and so close again. I told you, all those years ago when I was leaving for school, right? You were so upset that things weren't going to work out, you begged me to not leave and I told you that I'd come back for you one day, remember that? Granted it took time to get my life set up to where I could provide a life for you, but I kept my promise! I'm back Pet, and I'm not going to let you get away again!"
Petra gave a groan and rubbed her forehead in disbelief because it was un-fucking-believable, but Levi had been right about it all. She took a stabilizing breath and shot her friend an incredulous, irate stare, "Timmy, we were just kids back then! It was a promise you never had to keep!"
The blonde took another step toward her and continued, "But I still love you! Petra, I got my degree. I built a house. I've spent this whole year now, buried in textbooks, looking for a way to get you out and-"
"And hell of a lot of good that did you!" Petra shrieked in obvious fury, "Timmy, I'm married now! You wanted to grant me 'freedom' or whatever by forcing me out of the military, but all you did is back me into a corner and force me into a position that I never had to be in in the first place! I didn't even want to get married! I didn't…Levi was my Captain; I wasn't interested in him, and then in twenty-four hours I was his wife because of you when I never even wanted to marry him in the first place! Do you have any idea what that put me through? Put my Captain through? My team through? You're a scoundrel and a liar, you manipulated me, all while playing it up and pretending to be my friend!" She took a breath and scowled, "Now you're here trying to butter me up and make things feel like old times, when the reality is that what we had is over. I'm with Levi now, that's a fact, and you have no one to blame but yourself. Now leave me alone – I don't want to see your face around here because Levi was right about you, about everything, and I'm done with your games."
Timmy shook his head seriously, watching her with a passionate stare and trying to catch her gaze because she was looking across the lawn in attempts to avoid looking at him, "No Pet, don't say that because it doesn't have to be that way. We can still make this work! If you can just-"
Petra rolled her eyes and actually laughed, "How many times do I need to say it Timmy – I'm married. You missed. Your chance. You think I'd ever cheat on Levi? You'd seriously be okay with that? If I were the kind of person that would ever do something like that, what kind of partner would that make me for you?"
The blonde's expression sobered, and he shook his head somberly, "You may be married to him, but it's not a real relationship Petra. It was a transaction, nothing more."
"Nothing more? Why do you and Dad keep saying that? Who gets to make those judgement calls? Look, I'll have you know that I slept with him, Timmy. Just yesterday. And for that matter, it was amazing, and no, it wasn't an accident or a onetime thing either."
"I don't care about that." The blonde said with a firm shake of his head, standing closer than necessary as he spoke with haughty conviction and leaned toward her, "So what? He can have you for a night, because what's a single night when compared to what we already had - to the whole lifetime that I'll have with you by my side? Pet, I was your first; your first boyfriend, your first lover, your first kiss, your first everything…and I know you loved me, and you know I'll fight for you and do whatever it takes to win you back. It's not over between us, Pet, not by a long shot. We'll pick up the pieces and start anew, and I'll be the one to bring you happiness."
"Timmy. You need to leave."
The man reached a hand toward her and lightly pressed her bangs to one side. Petra bristled with a sudden warning glare, though Timmy merely laughed at her stubborn expression, "Petra, love. I want to be your husband. I want to watch over you and take care of you. I want to provide for you, and protect you. I want to be that man in your life, so just forget about your Captain because his mistress is the military and there's no room for you. What has he even done to prove himself to you? He has no plan for your relationship, other than whatever happens in the military, and frankly, it shows. I know you care about him, but Petra, it's one sided. You're only an afterthought to him; a secondary priority at best, and you'll always take a backseat in his mind. Has he ever done a thing to show you that he's in it for the long run? From what I've seen, it's obvious that he's winging it, and you deserve someone that can give you more than that."
As he spoke, he had hooked a finger under her chin in attempts to break down her mental walls, and though Petra had turned her head to one side with a snap, using her wrist to bat his hand away in a show of defiance, Timmy grabbed her wrist outright – the same one she had sprained earlier - and Petra gave a slight wince at Timmy's sudden and tight grip.
He mistook the pained expression on her face as a sort of torn indecision, and he continued with newly bolstered confidence, pressing her arm against the side of the house and standing up against her softly, "Pet, my actions, if anything, only prove that I'm the right man for you. It proves that I will prioritize you and do whatever it takes to keep you, and that I can and will give you everything he can't. I can give you passion and romance. A future. A family. A secure, safe, and happy life. He can't give you that. Hell, he can't even give you a proper tomorrow. He could die any day fighting the Titans, and you'll be left all alone. But me, I will be here for you, always. I'm in love with you Pet; I always have been, and I'm so sick of watching that man be with you because you know you should be with me."
Petra gave a whimper, somewhat backed against the house now that Timmy had continued to move even closer, and he held her wrist in such a way that the smallest action pained her all the more. She grimaced and struggled to speak, "Timmy I just said…that's not-"
"Petra…Choose me."
At that, Timmy had leaned forward, changing his grip on her wrist in a manner that only caused the joint to throb with renewed intensity, earning a pained gasp from Petra as she struggled to mentally sort out all that was happening because it was so sudden and far too much. Her wrist was killing her and Timmy - he was suddenly professing his love, trying to convince her to pursue a relationship with him, like that was even possible, and now he was...
Petra's eyes widened at once, because Timmy had closed the distance between them and was pressing his lips against hers; his lips cold and forceful, as though begging her to remember everything they had once shared in the past and certain that a single kiss would bring her back to him.
Petra gave a soft cry as she pulled at her wrist, a fiery pain shooting up her arm in result, and Timmy brought his free arm up, twisting around her back and pulling her against him tightly as he sucked on her lips in a bruising, demanding kiss.
Petra grimaced and shut her eyes tightly because no, no this was wrong!
So, so very wrong.
She couldn't. She wouldn't. She didn't want Timmy like that now, but even in the event that she had, even if some small part of her had wanted to rekindle what had once been between them…
The truth was...
She belonged to Levi now – in every way. Sure, maybe it hadn't started out that way, maybe she hadn't cared for him and had gotten married for all the wrong reasons but…
She just wanted Levi now, nothing more, and gods help her, she'd never ask for anything again if she could somehow keep him.
When Petra gave an offended gasp, attempting to turn her head away and shove him back with her free arm that was somewhat locked at her side, the taller male leaned against her all the more, swallowing her gasp as he kissed her more deeply, sighing into her mouth as his hand ran down her back, tracing lower over her pant line until it was far too low to be considered her back. Outraged by his wandering little hand, Petra tore her head to one side and repositioned her feet beneath her so she could push him away, planning to slap him outright for his little ass-grabbing stunt and his very unwelcomed assault when she had already told him multiple times that he wasn't welcome. As she prepared to move, Petra almost lost her footing and somewhat stumbled forward into suddenly empty space.
She had only caught a slight glimpse of raven hair, but at once, Timmy had been pulled back by the collar and was already tumbling down to the ground, because the force he had been pulled with was far from gentle. To her side stood a less than pleased Captain, who wore an absolute snarl across his face as his steel blue eyes regarded the blonde in undisguised fury, and regardless the sheer rage that was radiating off from him in powerful waves, even still Petra gave a broken sigh and fell back against the house in sudden relief.
"Levi…thank god." She whispered, more to herself than the Captain, because his attention was notably elsewhere and that was perfectly fine with her.
Before the blonde had even hit the ground, Levi had swung his fist around and hit his jaw squarely, and he followed with his opposite arm as he punched into the man's gut with a low grunt of force. Timmy flew to the ground in a forceful heap, a low and pained moan coming from him as he rolled slightly across the ground in clear misery.
Levi's voice was menacing as he leaned forward with crossed arms, hovering over Timmy's trembling form as he spoke in a far too calm voice, "Perhaps I should fucking thank you for that dumbass stunt you pulled just now, because I've been looking for a good reason to beat the shit out of you all week and you just gave it to me."
As Timmy coughed and slowly moved up from the ground onto his hands and knees, Levi's eyes narrowed and he kicked into the man's gut with a single swift shift of his leg. Once again, Timmy fell back onto the ground with another series of pained coughs, and Levi continued flatly, "Listen up, Timmy, and listen well. Petra won't choose you. She didn't choose to wait for you back when she joined the military, and she clearly won't choose you now. In case you haven't figured it out yet, that's not a mere coincidence, and it's not bad luck either. She doesn't want you anymore, and you wanna know why?"
"You…bastard…" Timmy mumbled, and Levi clicked his tongue in disapproval, placing a single boot on his head and pushing him back into the ground with a dark frown, "Hey, I'm just shooting you straight so don't get pissed off with me. The least you could do, after forcing yourself on my wife, is pay attention and try to learn something, you arrogant fuck. You talk about all you can offer Petra, all the shit you want to do for her; comparing our choices like it's a damned pissing contest or something, when the simple reality is that she's not even interested in any of that. She doesn't want you to 'provide' or 'protect' her. She doesn't want your make-believe security or your damned paycheck either. She wants to live, freely, and seek after her own potential and make a difference in the world – but that…" Levi looked at the blonde and shook his head with a knowing scowl, "That doesn't exactly fit with what you're looking for in a partner, now does it? Admit it, you just want her to stay at home and play your little housewife, right? How fucking stagnant."
Levi gave another deliberate shove with his foot, and Timmy grimaced as his head was scraped across the ground in a slow, painful manner that caused his skin to tear and bleed. Levi sneered, "What's worse, rather than try to date her while she was in the military or even try to meet her halfway, instead you decided to stack the deck from the shadows, where she would have no other choice but to play right into your hand."
Levi pulled his foot off the man after pressing him into the dirt with another deliberate shove of his boot, and Timmy was coughing all the more, his once perfectly styled hair now tossed with a mix of dirt and blood. Levi allowed him a moment, and almost scowled at his own admission, "To be fair, your plan was aggressive and concise; really threw us all for a loop back then, and there's no denying it was effective. I won't deny your intelligence, and I suppose in hindsight the only real problem was just me. To that end however, I gotta say you fucked up in a big way because your little oversight bit you in the ass. Not only did I mess up your plans back then, but I messed them up all this week, and I'm messing them up even now. Thought you would have figured it out by now, but it doesn't matter what shit you try to pull, because I'm always going to be standing in your way. I'm always going to intervene, I'll always step up in her defense, and I won't permit you to yank her around just because you've made the arrogant, self-righteous decision that you apparently know what's best for her. Besides, you can talk a big game, but when it comes to actually 'fighting' for Petra, as it turns out, I'm the only one who's actually got the balls to do it."
Levi quirked an eyebrow and almost rolled his eyes sarcastically, "Willing to fight for her, yeah, you're fucking full of it. Even now, you only confessed your love to her when you thought you could get away with it, while I was gone at the Garrison and she was all alone." Levi paused, scoffing at the man's clear mistake, "Like Petra even needs my help for something like this - you're a fucking dumbass, because little Princess over here can throw quite a tantrum when you get on her bad side and even if I hadn't been here, I'm pretty sure you'd be on the ground just the same and she'd be stomping your face into the dirt even now. What, I suppose you thought she'd be an easy target, or that she'd be confused, so you'd take her out, tell her it was all for her own good, and then smooth things over with a single kiss?"
Levi had paused then, a slight smirk at his lips as he shook his head, "Yeah, tried that one myself and I'm telling you, it doesn't end well." He took a breath and continued, "Here's what I find the most interesting though: even after seeing how your plan fell apart the first time, it seems you haven't learned a damned thing because you're still trying to operate from the shadows, sneaking around and trying to manipulate her when you think it will play in your favor. You're a coward, Timmy, and your methods are nothing short of candy-coated blackmail. After seeing the man you truly are beneath all that posturing and manipulation, you think Petra's even remotely interested in you? Think again, dumbass."
Levi crouched down lower toward the ground, his voice a taunting whisper as he spoke more softly to the blonde, "As it turns out, you're the one who got to have her for the night, because from here on until the end, she's mine. Face it Timmy; you lost. She's wearing my ring, took my name, and even now as I sit here beating the absolute shit out of you-" Levi gave him a rough sort of shove for emphasis, and he snorted when the man gave a hiss of pain, "Fuck, she doesn't even care. It's time you act like a man and bow out gracefully because Petra has already made her choice, and for the record, it's not you."
From behind him, there was a quiet, 'Captain…' and Levi sighed, giving a slight nod as he took a collecting breath, "Yeah, I know." He wanted to do more – to throw a few more punches, land a few more kicks, perhaps break a bone or two so that the pain would linger in the man's every action for weeks on end to serve as a constant reminder of what happened when he touched what didn't belong to him, but with Petra standing right there…
Levi tightened his fists and gave a long exhale, allowing the tension to leave his body in a single breath of acceptance. He couldn't afford to lose control and cross that line or give into his rage; no, he wanted to be better than that – for Petra.
Levi stood up from the ground and gave a final sort of kick so that Timmy fell onto the ground once again, and Levi turned over his shoulder as he walked away, his expression dark and threatening, "Stay the fuck away from me, and while you're at it, stop trying to fuck my wife, you disrespectful punk."
Levi walked toward Petra and ignored the man's pained groans completely, giving her a long, amused shake of his head as though to silently say that she caused him endless amounts of trouble. He had gotten back from the Garrison not so long ago and had unintentionally walked into a rather interesting conversation so it seemed. Instead of making his presence known, he had merely relaxed against the edge of the house, waiting to hear how it would all pan out.
He hadn't doubted Petra in the least; he knew full well that she would never betray his trust in such a way – no, it was Timmy that he didn't trust, and Levi found that there were certain advantages to hearing the blonde's true thoughts, because the man seemed fairly confident that they were alone. Levi had wanted to know if he was planning anything else; if there was anything more to come that wasn't yet accounted for, but as the conversation waged back and forth between the two of them…
Well, it had been a long week, and Levi couldn't deny that he had felt, more than once, immense jealousy for his wife's attention, because multiple times throughout the week, her laughter and delight had defaulted to Timmy. It wasn't meant to be hurtful, so Levi hadn't said anything, but Petra had allowed herself to be comforted or validated by the blonde instead, and the fact that he was here for her and she still chose that man instead – admittedly it had made him feel notably frustrated and on edge; out of place and flustered because his jealousy had no appropriate outlet. Finding out some time later that the man had in fact been her ex – the one and only ex that Petra could ever lay claim to – that had only made it worse. Timmy had been around all week, laughing with her and teasing her, all but making a point that they all shared a clear bond that he had no place in and yet…
Petra wouldn't hear a word of it, and as she had before, when she had every opportunity to allow herself a moment of weakness considering she hadn't known he was back from the Garrison, no, Petra had stood her ground and hadn't so much as given Timmy a chance.
Hearing her words, Levi had almost felt a sudden wave of relief because even though he trusted Petra, in some ways Timmy perhaps was the one single man that could ruin it all, and even though Levi logically knew that she just wasn't that kind of woman, even still, hearing her reject him without a moment's hesitation had been…nice.
What hadn't been so nice, was hearing the pained gasp from Petra that confirmed their mere talk was no longer just a simple talk, and Levi had almost growled from where he was standing, because Petra was in bad enough shape where yes, even someone like Timmy might be able to damage her, even without consciously meaning to.
Curious if Timmy had in fact caused her further harm, mentally wondering how he would settle the score with the man in the event that he had in fact hurt her, Levi carefully grabbed her arm, watching her with a quirked eyebrow when she flinched at the contact.
"Ow, gentle Captain – that really hurts."
Levi frowned at her pained whisper, because he was being gentle. His fingers traced across her skin and he looked at her wrist with a sigh, because the joint was showing signs of swelling and considering the way she was pulling against him even now, it was clear she was in legitimate pain.
"He messed with your wrist, huh? Could have just kicked him in the dick you know."
"How? He was a little close for that and I'm kinda limited on options right now considering my swollen wrist and shaky ankle. Honestly, it's a good thing you showed up when you did. I mean, I can handle my own and I would have been okay it's just, well, Timmy wasn't playing fair."
"Yeah, no shit." Levi released her arm and gave her a serious stare, "Look, I don't care if it's a friend or not Petra; if a man plays dirty then you play dirty right back; thought I'd taught you that by now. Next time beat his ass and don't hold back." He looked over his shoulder toward the blonde and gave a low exhale, "Although, your condition made it so I got to lay into him instead, so maybe it worked out for the best. With that wrist, you can't hit him as hard as I can, that's for damn sure, and after pulling something like that, he deserves to have some manners beaten into him."
She gave a weak nod and shrugged, "Yeah, even now I'm at a loss. He just…so out of the blue…"
Levi gave an aggravated huff and pulled an arm around her, giving Timmy a narrowed stare of warning as he spoke, "Yeah, it was fucking gross and I better never see that happen to you again." Levi took a step and nodded toward the house, "On that note, I say you're due for a shower because I don't like the idea of his hands being on you like that. Did you get through your routines at least? Hate to say it but even if you didn't, I think we'll have to call it because your ankle is still so touchy and now that your wrist is flaring up like that-"
From across the ground, there was a sudden rasp, "Pet. Pet listen."
Levi growled and looked over his shoulder in warning, irritated outright because all things considered, he thought he had let the man off easily, far more easily than he had deserved, and Levi would not be so gracious the second time around, "Oi. I thought I told you to-"
"The front door." Timmy merely ignored the miffed Captain and sat up slightly from the ground, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he took a collecting breath, "I left a file by the doorway. I wanted to tell you about it, I wanted to try to explain it all but…it's fine. It has everything you need, you know, to get out of your marriage. For good."
Levi fell silent in admitted shock as his arm fell from around her, and Petra looked at Timmy, then to Levi, her mouth hanging open in equal surprise of her own and she took a step toward the blonde in clear disbelief and confusion, "Timmy…what are you….what are you saying?"
The man gave a flat nod, "That's what I was trying to tell you earlier. I was hoping we'd have the day where I could sit down and just, explain it all. Properly."
Petra took another step toward her previous partner, and she missed the sharp breath that Levi took from behind her as she moved away from him in favor of the miserable blonde, "Well you don't have the whole day – you've got five minutes and you're going to explain it to me, right now." Her voice was firm and she watched the blonde with a suspicious, guarded stare, "I don't understand how that's even possible because it was – no, is – a valid marriage contract and license. You can't just…walk out of that. It's a binding contract, Timmy. Dad wanted to challenge it too, but I'm telling you it's the real thing. I didn't make that up."
The blonde only chuckled and licked the blood off his lips, nodding almost smugly as he spoke, "I'm not suggesting that you did. Give me more credit then that Pet, I know full well that its valid, but even still - all contracts have their loose ends; ask your Captain and he'd tell you the same thing. To an average civilian, sure, it's pretty much set in stone, but I have studied law for eight years now and I have an eye for loopholes. In addition, I made quite a few friends while I was in school, and that internship allowed me to brand myself with some pretty important people. I pulled some strings, well a lot of strings actually, and was able to have the right people sign a classified document that confirms you were married at a time of great stress in your life. Doing this legally records that you weren't in a healthy state of mind, that you were forced into the situation, and therefore shouldn't be held accountable to the marriage license."
Timmy paused and gave a long sigh, his eyes narrowed in thought as he spoke more softly in clear dismay, "When I heard you got married, I took a leave of absence from my firm and I've been working on this project day and night ever since - it's probably been my most difficult case to date. It took a lot of work, favors, endless nights of research, and I wasn't even sure if it would be ready in time, but I got the last signature in just a few days ago."
Petra's mouth fell open at the way Timmy suddenly watched her, his orbs glowing with ferocity and determination and he nodded seriously, "It's ready. All you have to do now is just sign your name, your real name, Petra Marie Ral, to confirm you were married under duress, and it's all in the past. And before you freak out, no, it won't make your current military contract null and void. That's a different matter and honestly, that's not my angle here; not anymore. I just…I had to fix this, you know? Your so called 'husband' can say whatever he wants about me, but my feelings for you are genuine and I was only doing what I thought was right. I was blinded by my own knowledge and pride; believing that I could make things work out so easily in a way that would make your father happy, keep you safe, and bring you back home…with me, but I see now that it's an impossible dream because you wouldn't be happy."
Timmy gave a slight cough at the still aching pain in his side, sitting up more fully as he rubbed his jaw and looked into the ground in a humbled admission, "I knew that I messed up, from the moment that I heard you got married. That was never my intention, and I'm sorry, truly, that my actions put you in such a position. I know now that if I'm ever going to have a real chance of winning your heart, well – I'll have to let those steps come from you. I know that we'll just have to work through the distance and the struggles of you being in the military, and that's okay. It's not my favorite Pet, I won't lie about it, but it's what you want and I can respect that."
Timmy looked up from the ground toward Levi specifically and all but growled, "The military is one thing, but as you can imagine, it's a problem for me if you're married to another man. I just…I don't want to be the reason why you have to be married to someone like him." His attention turned back to Petra and he gave a cough, "So Pet, even if you sign it and decide to find happiness with someone else, that's fine and I'll respect that too. And as for the form specifically, you can read it over as closely as you want, but I promise you that there are no strings attached. This is just…my way of trying to make it right. All you have to do is sign it, send a copy to the license bureau, and it's all behind you in the past like it never happened at all. I know that your dad won't bother you about the military, now that he's seen how far you'll go, and you have my word that I won't put myself in your path again, not unless you ask me to – which of course, I hope you do."
Petra's eyes had widened considerably as her mind raced with sudden uncertainties, and seeing the questioning expression across her face, the blonde nodded as he held her gaze with a pleading stare, "Petra, you can still undo this. All of it. You just said you never wanted to be married to him, right? Let it be what it was and walk away, for his sake as well as your own. If you only married him to stay in the military, that path is secure now and you can start over like it never happened in the first place."
Petra gave a quiet, almost scared whisper, cursing herself because her voice sounded so weak; so lost.
"…But it did happen."
"Perhaps. But it doesn't have to be like this anymore! You don't have to keep making all these sacrifices and you can be free – exactly like you want. Everything that was lost to you will be restored and your future will be in your hands alone. Just sign it, please."
The two stared at each other for a long, long time – and from beside her, Levi cleared his throat and gave a low, demanding growl, having to tug her arm once, then twice, and when she hardly even flinched because Petra was clearly that lost in her thoughts, Levi sighed lowly. "Oi, Petra. Let's go. We're done here."
At his low, tempered voice, she had jolted slightly in surprise, giving a dazed and distracted nod as he continued pulling her behind him; neither of them saying a single word about, what he could only hope, was Timmy's last and final Ace to play.
Fuck, he detested the younger male and all he was putting them through. Gods, this just wasn't fair. Of course Petra couldn't have dated a simple, average civilian. No – she had found someone that rivaled the intelligence and cunning of Erwin, the patience and tenacity of Oluo, the pragmatism of Gunther and the charm of Eld; all wrapped up in eight plus years of law school to make him a truly well rounded, formidable and proper pain in the ass. In some ways, it was almost a shame that the blonde didn't use his talent for something other than harassing Petra, because his intelligence and tenacity was undeniable.
Levi frowned as he walked to the house, inwardly reminding himself to not tug or pull Petra too harshly as his mind raced with his own innumerable questions and sudden outrage. Even though he was the one standing while the blonde was trembling across the ground in obvious pain, even though Levi was the one to pull Petra away with him after she had confirmed that she didn't want a relationship with anyone else except for him, why was it that it felt as though he had been the one beaten down and backed into a corner? It bit at his pride relentlessly because there was no denying it.
He had been outdone.
Timmy had taken him by complete surprise and pulled something he couldn't have possibly expected – something that, just like it had before, so long ago in Erwin's office, changed everything, only this time there was no team to back him up; no Erwin or Hanji to sort his thoughts or problem solve with him, no one to tell him that he was making a bad call or that he wasn't thinking through all his options.
No, this time it was just himself and Petra, and it didn't escape his notice that even though Petra was following after him step for step, her green eyes hadn't left Timmy's for even a second.
…
End Of Chapter
...
Well? Your thoughts? For those calling for Timmy's blood and anguish, I raise you this chapter instead. I have found that in life there are VERY few cases where one side walks away like some superhero while the 'evil' guy hangs his head in shame. As much as I would love to paint Levi as the super cool, badass character who don't take nuthin from no one – yall, how many times in life do you /actually/ see things working out that way. Just like how Erwin always leaves Levi feeling at odds, I just couldn't see an outcome where Levi and Timmy go head to head and there's not some push and pull resulting, instead of a clear cut 'victor' so to speak. Instead, we see their strengths. Levi is physically strong, and has a black and white sense of morality that comes out in very grey, debatable methods. We have Timmy, who is a master of seeing the full picture, altering different facts to best suit his point of view – not to mention the patience and cunning of a master strategist, and Petra, who is true to her convictions and responds to things earnestly while hitting the ground running.
Sorry for those who expected to see some moral justice or whatever, but I'm satisfied with this. Justice is overrated.
Again sorry for the late upload guys, but if it makes you feel better, realize this means I can't watch any football today. Thank heaven the Chiefs already played on Thursday. See ya next week!