Hey yall, been a hot minute right?

Hopefully these last few weeks have been good for everyone. I'm afraid that on my end, I spent two of the threeish weeks fighting off a terrible cold that I'm sorta just now getting over. This means that my writing didn't go nearly as productively as I had hoped, but it wasn't a total bust either. What does this mean for the future updates? Haha, your guess is as good as mine! If I feel I need a few weeks, I'll just have to take them as material wanes and waxes.

Either way, we really are wrapping up this story – not too soon though, so don't worry about anything being rushed. Yall know I am so long winded that that won't really be a problem. Of course, thanks so much for your patience and enjoy the update!

…

…

Eld was finishing buttoning his shirt, feeling much better after having changed out of his dirty and sweat slicked clothes and finally into something clean and crisp for their upcoming night out.

It had been a long, hard four weeks without the Captain, because Erwin was, in some ways at least, a lot more strict of a boss than Levi. Eld wouldn't ever have believed it, but after four weeks of giving status updates and various reports to the Commander, he couldn't deny that Levi was far more lax than he had ever given him credit for. What was more, Levi had left behind intense and brutal exercises to ensure that the squad was ready for their upcoming expedition, and considering the Captain was due to report back to duty come the morning, Eld had figured it would be the right time to take a half day and get some drinks to celebrate the fact that they had managed to survive and thrive while the Captain had been away.

They had trained aggressively at the crack of dawn, took a shorter lunch break, and had just finished up some twenty minutes ago after an intense bout of training. Back in their shared dorm room, the three men were just about ready to pack up and leave for the night, when a few familiar voices could be heard coming down from the opposite end of the hall.

At once, Eld perked up, a smile on his face as he looked toward Oluo and Gunther and pointed toward the door, "Well what do you know; seems they're back! Think we should go out and help with the luggage, say hi and all that? Maybe they could even come out with us, assuming they aren't too tired of course. What do you guys think? You all game to make this a Squad Levi night out?"

Gunther threw on a shirt, still half-dressed as they continued their preparations to go into town and he nodded, "Yeah, not gonna lie - I've really missed them. Wasn't sure if they'd be back today or not, because I could see them wanting to stay gone until the last possible moment. Let me go ahead and-"

There was a sudden feminine giggle that sounded from down the hall, "Levi, Levi stop!"

"Fuck no. Why should I?"

"Because we're out in the hallway and we've only been here for like a second! Behave, Captain!"

"What's the big deal? It's the peak of everyone's training hours so it's not like the guys will be back anytime soon. Besides, once word gets out that we're back, I'll get roped into status reports, you'll have a shit ton of numbers to work out and address, and-" There was a pause, "Oi, why are you just walking down the hall? I'm not finished with you."

More footsteps could be heard, and the three men had each stood up straight, giving each other uncomfortable looks from the safety of their dorm room as they unwittingly began eavesdropping on the couple's apparently private conversation. While they certainly didn't want to overhear such conversations, walking out to find god only knows what seemed even worse, so until the Captain and Petra were satisfied with their sudden exploits, there wasn't much they could do but wait it out and pray that things didn't continue to escalate much past Petra's giggles and their Captain's suggestive words.

From a few feet away, there was the sound of a door opening and closing – Petra's room – and Petra's voice could again be heard, "Stop your bellyaching. I'm just trying to put some of my stuff away and be productive! I've been living out of suitcases for so long now and it'll be nice to have a real dresser again. I just want to unpack a little and-"

More footsteps and a sharp gasp, "Levi – Captain, what are you – Captain! What if someone walks in!"

Again the men exchanged worried, horrified glances at the obvious alarm in Petra's voice, the unspoken question lingering in the air of what exactly the Captain was doing that caused her to be so concerned, and after a suspiciously long silence and a sudden mewl from Petra, their Captain responded in a chuckle, "No one is going to walk in, Pet."

Eld made a face, looking at Oluo and Gunther and silently mouthing the word 'Pet?' in complete confusion, and the other two men gave equally as confused shrugs, all three men somewhat frozen in place as though uncertain of what to do. Levi continued speaking, and their attention warily moved back toward the door, "I told you, I personally made all the material for Eld to follow so I know what their schedule looks like. Besides, I report for duty again tomorrow so I don't have all that much time to work with. Not all of us have the luxury of being on leave still, Mrs. Ackerman. Stop being so fucking difficult, woman."

More footsteps, and Eld made a face, frowning outright when the pair could be heard much closer, a sudden thud suggesting that something – or more likely someone – had been pressed up into the wall, only a few feet away from their door.

Gunther and Oluo's faces also paled in growing horror, and much to their chagrin, their Captain's low voice could just barely be heard; a low and sultry tone that the men had never heard their Captain use before, and the situation continued to become more and more uncomfortable for them as Levi gave a single, low laugh, "Alright Petra, what kind of game are you trying to play now, hm? You want to act like damn school kids; have me chase you around this whole compound or some shit?"

There was some further shuffling, and the clear sound of kisses, heaving breaths and shifting bodies could be heard as Petra remained far too silent and the Captain continued in a whisper, "Hell are you trying to cockblock me for, now of all times? Fact of the matter is, we both know how this ends, Pet - me, taking you, and you, saying my name and loving every fucking minute of it. Just tell me what you want, how you want it, and then we can unpack and all that shit when we're done. Don't make me play dirty; you know I've been wanting you all morning and I'm not feeling all that patient. You gonna tell me that you don't want it? You're a bad liar, Petra."

A very distinct moan could be heard, and the guys each shot each other varying concerned, disgusted looks because there was no way they were sticking around to listen to that. Hearing some of the Captain's words, Gunther frowned and mouthed a horrified 'Eww' to Eld, who could only shrug in horrified agreement. Apparently their Captain had a very dirty mouth in the bedroom setting, something that wasn't overly surprising to them, and yet, there were some things that were best kept secret between them because things like this were…beyond personal.

There was a soft moan from Petra, "Levi, nmh, I just…we've been riding for hours. I just, damn Captain, let me shower off or something first; I feel gross." There was a sudden sharp gasp from her throat, and the wall creaked with sudden pressure from outside of the room as Petra's voice seemed to grow all the more uncertain, "Levi, will you just…gods, you're not being fair. I can't think straight, I just…"

There was a sudden pleased hum from the Captain as her words drew off, because it was obvious that Petra's defenses were weakening by the second. "Oh? Is that so? Well you just want to shower off, right?" There was a slight chuckle from Levi, and again the wall creaked with sudden pressure, "I think we can make that work, Pet."

There were a few more sounds, gasps and shifting fabric, and eventually the pair continued down the hall, a few more heated gasps and whimpers from Petra just barely being able to be heard until finally, the bathroom door clicked open and closed.

For a long, long moment, the three men remained frozen in place, half from the sheer horror and embarrassment of what had, and was currently taking place, and the other half in fear of leaving their room too early and making the situation worse by walking in on the pair outright.

Oluo took a nervous inhale, blinking a few times and shaking his head because that would be tough to forget about, for quite some time, "Uh…so do you guys think it's safe to leave? I'm for getting the hell out of here fast, before they change plans or realize they'll need towels or something like that." The man's expression darkened and he rubbed his suddenly throbbing head, "Fuck, let's just get out of here and let those two get it out of their system."

Eld gave a nod of agreement and look toward Gunther with a growing, arrogant smirk, "Well what do you make of that, Gunther? I told you they'd hook up while they were gone and that was no cheap wager either. I'm telling you guys, when are you ever going to learn that I'm not wrong about these things? You're just making it too easy!"

Gunther made a face and quickly slipped on his shoes, the men still quietly going about their business because they instinctively knew that alerting Levi to their presence while he was clearly trying to spend some 'quality time' with his wife would end very badly for all of them. Gunther sighed, "Hey, I'll settle the tab because fair is fair, but I'm just saying - hooking up for the first time, all while they're on the road at some nasty hotel or at her old man's house? Feels gross to me man, and I for one have no shame in saying that I thought Captain would have at least waited till they were back here or-"

"Well in Levi's defense," Eld began as they each tiptoed toward the door, "They've been at a weird spot for a while and after so much changed between them, with her ankle and everything it just didn't work out between them for the longest time. I know Petra said that she was wanting-"

"Enough." Oluo gave a low and demanding grumble, one hand on the doorknob as he turned over his shoulder to give the blonde an icy glare, "I'm happy for them or whatever, but I don't exactly want to hear the details about how Captain's sleeping with Petra when the whole thing was bullshit from the start. I know they put the time in, and I know it's genuine I just…" he paused and gave a long exhale through his nose as he shook his head in overwhelming frustration, "I don't like thinking about it. I really just need a strong drink. Or ten. I mean…you heard that right?" Oluo's voice lost its thunder and the man gave a sad, pensive shake of his head, "I knew it was just a matter of time but…there's really no denying it anymore. She's with Captain now and-"

There was a slap on his shoulder, and Gunther spoke softly from behind him, "It's been hard for you, but you've done as well as anyone could have in your position. Don't worry about your drinks tonight okay?"

There was another chuckle and Eld spoke up from behind him, "Yeah, we'll get you taken care of man. Let's just hope that we can sneak out of here. Sorry to rub salt in the wound, but one would think Captain is pretty distracted by this point, so I say the sooner we make a break for it, the better."

Oluo nodded in agreement and opened the door, automatically groaning because it was hard not to notice the random articles of Petra's clothing that had been discarded throughout the hallway; a trail leading from her bedroom to the end of the hall where the bathroom was. "Aw come on, really? Really? You gotta be fucking kidding me. If this is the shit they're going to be pulling then-"

Eld blinked at the telling display and shook the resulting images out of his head, "Calm down. You know Captain would never allow it considering he's such a neat freak; he just thinks they're alone is all and frankly, they are still on vacation. Keep moving Oluo – it's not a hill to die on."

The trio left the hall, being as quiet as absolutely possible, where they would not return until sometime long after curfew.

…

...

"Ah Levi, Petra – welcome back." Erwin greeted as he looked up from his desk with a smile, "I heard whispers that you two had returned not so long ago – I wasn't sure when to expect you, but I'm glad it was sooner rather than later. Please, take a seat. How was your trip?"

"Busy." Petra stated with a sigh, and Erwin nodded as the pair shifted further into the room, almost smirking as he watched the Captain wordlessly move to his familiar perch against the back wall. Petra sat down in one of the chairs and continued, "We got back to my Dad's house without much issue, spent about a week and a half there with my father, and then we sort of lazily made our way back here with the time we had left, stopped at a few travel destinations, did some sightseeing – that sort of thing. It was a long four weeks, but a good four weeks."

"Well I'm glad." Erwin confirmed simply, "I was hoping that the two of you might still find a way to make the trip enjoyable, regardless the struggle regarding your marriage and military contract, so I'm pleased that you were able to take some time for yourselves in the end. As you can imagine, it's been pretty hectic around here without Humanity's Strongest and, what is it that they're calling you now, Humanity's Angel? Something like that?"

Petra had blinked at Erwin's words, and she looked between Levi and the Commander with a baffled expression, "Excuse me? You mean me? They are calling me that? Why?"

Erwin gave a nod of his own and almost chuckled at her horrified expression, "Couldn't say. I have no idea which unit started it, but half the time anyone talks about you these days, its either 'Captain Levi's wife' or 'Humanity's Angel'. My best guess is that it stems from when the material was given out to the military for use, because the description confirmed it was written as an attempt to save the lives of the Scouts on the battlefield. What's more, it has long been the predominant opinion that you married Humanity's Strongest to further secure the Scout Regiment's standing with the government. Even though we all know that that's not what happened, even still most people have come to consider you as the Scout's unofficial guardian angel."

Her nose wrinkled, and Erwin only shrugged. "If it makes you feel better, it's probably a result of Levi already having a similar title, but even still, I've heard it enough times now that I don't think it's a fluke. Sorry to say it Angel, but I'm pretty sure the nickname is here to stay."

Petra groaned in dismay, then after a moment of thought she looked toward Levi with a curious expression, "Wait….is that why…is that why Pixis wrote Angel on the card? At the time I thought it was just a mistake but now…"

"Pixis?" Erwin blinked, his voice showing audible signs of concern, and there was a scoff from the back of the room.

"Oi, not so fucking great, having some shitty title like that slapped over your head, now is it?" Levi paused and looked over toward Erwin seriously, "And it's nothing, Erwin. Pixis knew that Petra would be in the area and so while we were on vacation, he actually came down to the Outpost in person to try and meet her. It seems that the Garrison is more than ready to make their move. Hell, Pixis even offered to come to her Dad's place directly if it made it any easier."

"Captain, did he really? You never told me that." Petra mumbled in surprise, and Levi gave a shrug.

"I told him that wasn't happening, because he knew full well that the Scouts weren't going to give it up without a fight, so he tried to suck up to her another way and if you ask me, that was a bust too. Nothing came of it of course, but it's still something to bear in mind. That job review is coming up fast, and we'd all do well to remember that we need to be prepared and on the same page. It's not a conversation for right now Petra, but fair warning that the government can be shady as hell and push you toward a lot of shit if you aren't able to defend yourself. For now, the best we can do is keep the wolves at bay until it's the right time and place."

Erwin gave a relieved exhale and nodded, "Good work, thank you Levi. I'd say I'm surprised to hear the Garrison tried to make an official job offer so quickly, but Pixis has always been one that takes a direct, head on approach to things and subtlety is not his strong suit. In many ways I actually like the man; he does a solid job with the Garrison's operations, but this is an area we are going to disagree on, and as the Commander of the Scouts, of course it's in the Regiments best interests to keep our star players in house."

Petra blushed at Erwin's comment, and the blonde almost laughed at how easily embarrassed Petra was. His expression sobered and he looked toward Levi expectantly, "Actually that brings up a question, Levi. I know you are scheduled to report for duty in the morning, however, what is the status of Petra's leave, considering her vacation time is at an end? I presume she's not ready to bear the brunt of traditional training just yet?"

Levi nodded at Erwin's assumption and explained, "That's part of the reason why we're here, actually. I need the paperwork to document Petra's extended leave as, like you guessed, she's not ready to report for duty just yet. We started the rehabilitation process as we were able, but she's still not ready to step back into my squad because – all due respect Petra – but she'd only hold us back and we can't afford to slow down with the next Expedition almost underway. She needs to remain on leave for-" Levi paused and shook his head pensively, "What, I'm thinking three weeks? She's getting stronger every day, and during this last week of vacation she was able to run and workout and put some real pressure on it for a change, where I think it's safe to say that she's finally ready for some proper training. All in all I'm pleased, but even still I wanted to run it by you before just signing off on it all, without your approval or knowledge."

Erwin's brows were knit together in contemplation, and Levi looked between Petra and the Commander with a surveying glance as he crossed his arms and continued, "I'm no fool to the fact that you'll want her running further numbers and reports, so I propose here and now that her time be scheduled beforehand so that nothing is left to chance. First half of the day I want her focused on rehabilitation. The human body does most of its healing overnight, so it's the best time for it where she'll see the most results. After lunch, she's all yours from then until the dinner bell, and from there I expect her to partake in afterhours free time like any other Scout. Ideally, I'd only want her pulled into the meetings that are absolutely essential. Considering the material has been mostly worked out at this point, her personal input isn't as necessary anymore. We need to respect the fact that she's not a Commanding Officer, so she shouldn't be expected to bear the burden of one. More than anything, I want to ensure that her own personal needs aren't being overlooked or dismissed simply due to the fact that she's useful. We've already been walking that line for too long as it is, and enough is enough. As her Captain, well, I have to intervene and try to advocate for my subordinate, and you know I'm right."

Levi paused and watched Erwin with a direct stare, "So. Is that a fair proposal, or would you prefer that we work this out privately at a different time? Sorry, I'm not trying to blindside you, but you know I've got a shit ton of work waiting for me and I don't have the time to beat around the bush for something like this."

Erwin smirked at the Captain's given arrangement and he allowed himself a sigh, "I suppose I can't keep her all day like I did back when she was still in a cast. While it's admittedly different than what I had envisioned, I do think that's a very sound schedule, Captain, and we can make that work. Petra, will you be comfortable with that sort of workload? Believe it or not, I'm not trying to be biased or push you one way or another, but I'd still like to point out that you are at an odd spot where, perhaps if you wanted to focus on one skillset over another – with your job review coming up and so many possibilities at your wake, it would be permissible for you to start down that path and you can be all the more prepared for your future career. Of course, Levi's approach will make it so you are still well versed and prepared for either career avenue, in the event you are still undecided."

Petra gave a miserable, embarrassed nod, "Sorry Commander, but that's actually why Captain came up with that arrangement – he and I talked about it a bit on vacation and he recommended that we go that route instead. Frankly, it's hard to know what I want because it's not exactly like I have any offers that have been presented to me at this point where I can fully commit to one path over another. What's more, I don't have time to just sit around and wait for something like that anyhow. The next expedition is only four weeks away, right? I know it's no secret to Captain but…for the record, I have every intention in participating. I know it won't be easy, but I'm a Scout and I haven't even so much as put on my harness in over two months. It's time, you know?"

The Commander chuckled at her words and nodded warmly in return, "I understand, Mrs. Ackerman. I admittedly have a few reservations about you attending, however there's no point in debating it here and now. After your three weeks are completed, we'll see if your leave needs to be extended, or if you are in fact ready to report for full, proper duty – expeditions and all. For the time being, keep focused on getting results, getting them the right way, and we'll table this discussion for a later date." The blonde's attention shifted to Levi, "As for you Captain, I will have the forms for her leave sent to your office before end of day. The sooner you get it filed, the better."

Erwin took a breath and folded his hands across the center of his desk, "Now that that's out of the way, if you don't mind my asking of course, did everything go well with your father? Were things able to be somewhat resolved, or should I be preparing further legal documents?"

It was Petra that responded, and she adjusted herself into her chair and gave a shrug, "It went as well as it could have, I suppose. Feel free to laugh, but in the end, all the problems and letters and hassle, it all amounted to some meddling ex of mine, who happened to know the right things and have all the right connections to be troublesome. It's almost embarrassing to me now, but once it all came to light and Captain did what he does best, I guess things somewhat fell into place and we were able to start taking the steps to get things resolved. At the very least," Petra looked past the Commander and instead watched Levi with a half-smile, "I feel pretty safe in saying that I doubt you'll be getting any more letters from my father or ex for quite some time. On that note, I actually promised my Dad I'd write him when I got back, so if you'd both be so kind as to allow me the freedom to once again send and receive mail, that'd be great."

Erwin nodded in amusement at her words; at hearing the fact it was some previous partner of hers that had been responsible for all the ruckus, because he could only imagine Levi's reaction to dealing with such a thing. Knowing better than to comment on the situation, Erwin instead focused his attention onto Petra specifically, "Of course Petra. If you and your father have somewhat come to terms, then there's no reason for me to intervene any further with regards towards your personal mail. I know that left a bad taste in your mouth, but please understand we meant no harm by it. If things are all squared away with your father then-"

From the back of the room, Levi cleared his throat, "Actually Commander, there's a few things I want to talk to you about, regarding that." The Captain paused and nodded toward Petra seriously, "A private conversation, if you don't mind."

Petra blinked in surprise, but slowly stood up from her chair as she tried to not let her sudden curiosity overwhelm her, "Oh a private conversation, Captain? And just what are you trying to hide from me?"

Levi actually chuckled at her heated, mischievous stare, and he returned her stare with a challenging grin, "Nothing that concerns you, woman. I've got a few items of business that I need to discuss, so piss off. I'll be back in my office after dinner, okay? I know you won't listen when I tell you to leave my paperwork alone, so instead I'll just tell you to leave some work for me and we'll sort it out later, okay?"

Petra grinned, "Very well, sir."

She left without further lingering, and eventually Erwin turned in his chair to look at the Ackerman directly. Levi waited until the sound of Petra's footfalls could no longer be heard, and he nodded seriously, "Alright Erwin, there's a few things you could stand to be aware of. Regarding everything that happened at her father's house…"

…

…

It was late into the evening when there was a knock on the door of Levi's office, however considering his office door was already wide open, it was more for politeness sake than anything else.

Eld leaned into the Captain's office with a smile, his grin widening all the more as he saw Levi and Petra both wordlessly working on some of the papers that had largely accumulated during the Captain's absence, and the pair seemed to look up from the desk simultaneously – a certain Ackerman already frowning as he watched Eld in obvious displeasure.

"Where the hell have you been?" Levi demanded tensely, "Curfew was hours ago and you shits were nowhere to be found."

"Aw, and it's good to see you too, Captain." Eld responded simply with an amused laugh, and before Levi could say anything further, Petra was already standing up from her chair, all but leaping toward him as she wrapped her arms around his torso in a tight hug.

"Eld!" she was grinning ear to ear, and not even Levi could keep the sort of grin off his face at seeing Petra's obvious excitement, "Gods I missed you! Where are the guys? Are they in bed or…?"

She pulled away and Eld responded with a nod, "Yeah, missed you too Petra, and yes - you too, old man." Eld shot Levi a sort of smirk, and Levi rolled his eyes and looked back into his paperwork with a shake of his head. Eld grinned at the Captain's bitter silence, and he directed his attention back toward Petra, "The guys and I have been in town for a while and we just got back a little bit ago. The other two were pretty tired, but I still thought I'd come and say hi; it's been quiet around here without you two so it's nice to have you back. How you feeling Petra? You're looking a lot more limber, I'm glad. Feeling more like yourself yet?"

She looked down at herself and shrugged, "Kind of? I've never taken so much time off before, and I'm really happy to start my training back up. While we were away, Captain and I were able to take a little bit of time to train, but not nearly as much as we had hoped. Training tomorrow will be interesting, considering I'll finally get to use the 3DM gear again."

Eld's expression grew concerned and he looked between Petra and Levi nervously, "Training, like with us? Are you sure you're ready for that, Petra?"

She shook her head and clarified, moving back to her seat and sitting down lightly, "Oh no, no sorry not with you guys. I'm still on leave for three more weeks, but it's a transitional time to intentionally get me eased back onto the squad, so I won't be sitting around behind a desk and running numbers nearly as often. Goal is at the end of the three weeks, things will be back to normal and I'll be able to train with you all like I used to. That's the hope at least – it all just depends on the results."

Eld nodded in relief, "Right. Well don't push it. We want you to come back soon of course, but not until you're fully ready. There's no hurry, okay?"

Petra waved a hand as she began looking back into the paper she had been working on, "Okay okay, don't baby me, alright? Did you guys make it alright while we were away? It's been so strange being gone for so long – I'd like to think we had a decent time, but even still, having a regular schedule will be nice to keep to. Tell you what I didn't miss – all this paperwork."

There was a sort of grunt from Levi, and the Captain looked up toward Eld seriously, "She's not wrong. I was hoping we'd be able to put a decent dent into all of this between the two of us, but four weeks is a lot to catch up from. Besides, it's getting late and we all have morning duties to see to. You should go to bed Eld; you and Petra can catch up in the morning. It's past curfew – I can give Petra a pass because she's still on vacation, but you are not. Wrap it up here and get back to your dorm room; I'll see you all tomorrow."

Eld gave a nod and watched the man with a more sobered expression as he cleared his throat and nodded toward Petra, "Sure thing Captain. Actually Petra if you don't mind, can I talk to Levi here for a bit? Nothing major, just squad stuff, updates and reports, that sort of thing."

Levi looked back toward his desk and shook his head dismissively, "Oh, well actually it would help if Petra were around to hear that. It won't be as prominent, but Erwin still wants to have her engaged when it comes to reports and analytics, so it will all just get back to her anyway. This just saves time; what updates are you referring to?"

Petra smiled at Levi's statement, and there was a long sigh from Eld because that hadn't gone well. Deciding to change tactics, Eld made a face and dramatically rubbed the back of his neck as though suddenly embarrassed, "Damn. You caught me Captain, it's actually something else, and it's…kinda personal."

Levi slowly looked up from his paperwork, a perturbed, suspicious glare already tightening his expression, "Personal?"

Eld gave a miserable nod, "Yeah. I think I ran into some poison ivy or something? I'm not quite sure to be honest, but I've got this really bad rash right now and I was hoping I could get your opinion on if-"

As Eld was speaking, he was already unbuttoning his pants, simultaneously working on untucking his shirt, and there was a sudden shrill his from Petra, "What are you – ugh, not when I'm in the room Eld! I don't care if we've been on the squad together for years, I'm still a girl! Have you no shame?"

She stood up from the desk and smacked him on the back of his head with a firm swipe, grumbling to herself as she moved toward the door, "I get it, okay? I'm headed out so you guys can have your super-secret discussion or whatever. Like Captain said, it's getting late anyway, so I may as well just go to bed. Night, Captain. You too, Eld. See you all in the morning."

Levi's mouth fell open at once, ever so slightly, as though he had something to say but not quite able to find the words. He supposed it wasn't that big of a deal but…he had wanted to spend the night with her; to have her stay with him in his room, on their last night before their vacation was officially over but…

He sighed and fell back into his chair, already rubbing his eyes because this sort of thing was bound to happen sooner or later between them, and he may as well start getting used to it. He grumbled lowly in sudden annoyance, "If you start stripping down in this office I swear to Maria…Tell me you don't actually have a rash, right?"

Eld chuckled at the audible dread in the Captain's voice, and he shook his head, fixing his somewhat unkept state and moving further into the office, "No Levi, of course not. I actually wanted to come in here and maybe recommend that tomorrow, you let us all have a late start, or even a half day?"

This grabbed Levi's attention, and the Ackerman opened his eyes and looked at Eld seriously, "After you already indulged and went out to town for who knows how long – why? Seems to me like you all could benefit from a stricter hand – you didn't even bother to tell me where the hell you all were."

Eld took a breath, debating with himself how to best address the issue, and he finally gave a sigh and waved a hand in defeat, "Well to be fair Captain, none of us knew when you'd be back. I'm just giving you the heads up that tomorrow morning might not go as smoothly as you seem to think."

Levi quirked an eyebrow and watched Eld blankly, "And why might that be?"

Eld took a breath, then finally sighed in defeat and shrugged, "Guess there's really no point in hiding it because come tomorrow you'll find out just the same. It's Oluo. I told you we were in town earlier and Oluo got pretty shitfaced. Gunther and I agreed to pay for his drinks, so in some ways I guess it's a little our fault."

Levi's expression grew considerably more cold and he watched Eld with a very displeased stare of warning, "Not more of your bets again, I hope."

Eld could only give an empty, bemused chuckle, "Well, in a way. But not like you mean. Honestly Captain, Oluo's had it rough for a while now, you know exactly why that is, and if I'm being perfectly transparent, I feel for the guy. Today in particular was hard for him, because when you guys came back, we heard you."

Levi's expression twisted in confusion, "Heard you – heard what?"

Eld took an uneasy breath, knowing that Levi hadn't fully grasped what he was trying to communicate, and the blonde watched the Captain with a suddenly direct, intentional stare, "We heard you, heard you. When you all got back, and you thought you were alone because we were all training? Well you weren't alone, and we weren't training."

Levi almost coughed and he held up a hand as the meaning of his words became more apparent, and the Captain could only hope that he was just making assumptions. His eyes narrowed and he clicked his tongue, "Wait wait, you guys…you were there? When Petra and I first got back in the Compound and she wanted to put her stuff away – you were actually in the Compound already?"

"In our dorm room, yeah."

The Captain's mouth dropped open and he shook his head, biting back a groan as the memories of what he had said, what Petra had said, the sounds she had made and the things he had whispered to her, not even five feet from what he had assumed was an empty room, all came flitting back to him and he almost coughed in a mix of sheer horror and complete disgust, "You were all…fuck, don't you ever fucking tell Petra, you creepy shits. The hell were you there for, I left you training – specific training that I expected you to follow! Eld, the next expedition is only four weeks away and you went lax on the last day, coming back hours after curfew and telling me that Oluo's apparently too hungover to function? What else did you slack on while I was gone? I trusted you to do your damn job and run a tight ship in my absence and instead it's like a damned free for all. The hell were you thinking?"

Eld crossed his arms at the turn of conversation and he groaned, "Captain, calm down and just listen to me! We've been working hard, this whole time, and the guys have been really focused and training has been going well. I thought it would be fun for us to take a bit of a half day and relax a little."

Levi scowled and crossed his arms, "You thought it would be fun? I don't give a shit what you thought - you negated my material, that comes from years of experience, when it's not even your squad to command in the first place! Eld, you completely disregarded my orders!"

"You were banging Petra in the shower!" Eld retorted hotly with a horrified shake of his head, "I use that shower, Captain!"

Levi's expression grew suddenly pensive at Eld's clear offense and after a moment of consideration, Levi rolled his eyes and grumbled bitterly, "…Fine. We'll call it even."

A long silence fell over the room, and eventually Levi gave a sharp exhale through his nose, "So Oluo overheard us and decided to drink himself stupid, where you just sat back and watched him do it because you felt bad for him?" A lazy, exhausted groan left the Captain's throat and he sat back in his chair and rubbed his forehead in stubborn acceptance, "Guess that checks out, and in some ways, maybe I am due to cut Oluo a little bit of slack – all things considered. Besides, if that's how it is then maybe a late start would work out better for me anyway. Like Petra said, she'll be starting training tomorrow as well, but with her own routines for the first half of the day. I promised her that she'd be able to use her 3DM gear again because I think she's ready, but I'd feel a lot better if I got to be there to oversee it – at least to start off with. Problem is, I can't be leading her training and the squads at the same time. I can plan to start the morning off with her, and then after lunch break I can work with you three. Will you have Oluo up and ready by that point? A half day is the best I can offer; we can't afford to slack. I'm not sure if Petra will be ready for the next expedition and it's been a while since we've gone outside the walls as a four-man squad, so in either scenario we have our work cut out for us."

Eld nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, I know. I'll make sure Oluo is ready to go, considering it is a little my fault to begin with. Fair warning he may be a little lethargic, but he should be feeling well enough by midday to at least cripple his way through – better than him just taking a sick day I suppose. I'll go ahead and let the guys know the plan, so I'll take my leave for the night as well." He took a few steps toward the door and paused in place, a thought coming to mind as Eld leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms casually, "And Captain, hopefully this isn't wrong of me to ask but all things considered I'm curious. Petra – was it all worth the wait?"

Levi had blinked at the nature of Eld's question, watching him blankly for a few moments and somewhat tongue tied at the directness of Eld's words, but after sensing the blonde wasn't trying to tease him or make him uncomfortable, Levi found he was actually considering the question and he gave a pensive shake of his head.

"Well, it's Petra. So…of course it was."

Eld gave the Captain a pleased stare and he nodded in understanding, pushing off the wall and taking another step out toward the hallway, "I'm glad Levi. Of course I'm sad for Oluo, because the poor guy's had it rough but...well, Petra deserves happiness, and I'll admit that maybe I was wrong. You can make her happy, and I know that you do. I'll see you in the morning Captain – oh, and for the record, we both know that Petra's probably still awake, if you wanted to convince her to swap bedrooms for the night. Just an idea."

Eld walked away without further comment, and Levi sighed.

The man had a point, but even still…they'd have to get used to the distance eventually. They both had their individual rooms, and while it wasn't like he couldn't stay in her room or visa versa, the temptation of having her share a bed with him was just too much while they were still learning each other and enjoying their newfound intimacies, so perhaps the different rooms and distance would help them ease back into a more disciplined, less accessible sort of schedule.

They had talked about it, and they both understood that they simply couldn't spend night after night lost in each other like they had before while on vacation. Besides, it was getting late. It had been a long day, filled with traveling, and trying to get in as many last few moments with Petra before officially returning to his role as Captain Levi.

Tomorrow he'd wake up, start his morning off by training Petra specifically, then he'd join the men and train with them for the better half of the day, and from there he'd spend the rest of his time trying to catch up on all his paperwork. For the time being, he wanted to finish up a few more things, get some base line charts filled up and then…maybe he'd make a late night stop into Petra's room after all. Surely it wouldn't take that much effort to convince her to stay with him instead; he could be pretty persuasive when the occasion called for it.

Yes, they would need to get used to spending their nights alone but…perhaps one last indulgence wouldn't hurt.

…

End of Chapter

...

*insert dramatic sobbing* Yall. How in Maria's name I got through an entire plot arc without Eld is beyond me. He is one of my favorite characters of this whole story and to have him back is just the greatest, most wonderful thing ever. Eld, sweet blonde prince, I missed you :CC

For those who were hoping for material generating around the two weeks they spent together, honestly I thought about it and if I wanted to write it out or not, but yall we're over eighty LONG chapters and we've /got/ to get this plot moving or it will never end. And yall know I've got plans! I want to tackle new pieces and new plots, but this piece needs to be wrapped up first. I know, I know – getting totally ahead of myself as this arc is just beginning, but still. Thanks for everything yall. No promises on weekly updates mind you, but I'll always try to let yall know at the end of the chapter what to expect. So next week, there WILL be an update on Sunday. Till then!