History

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Summary: Rivetra Week 2017 Prompt Day 5

It was a curious sight.

Music came from the corner where the band played live. The group of musicians was talented, no doubt. But Mikasa knew her cousin wasn't a fan of that type of music. Which was why she was so intrigued at the intense way he was staring at them. Not the make-them-burst-into-flames kind of intense either like she had initially believed. She followed his gaze to the musician to the right end. He's staring at her.

"There you are." Eren came up to her. "Here."

"Thanks." She accepted the juice. The adults were drinking champagne but she and Eren weren't old enough. One more year. Normally, charity galas were boring. Her cousin was the one with the checkbook. He was also currently single so she had been dragged along. The parties were usually more bearable when Eren was also present.

"Mikasa?"

"Sorry." She focused her attention on him. "I'm being rude."

"What're you looking at?"

"Levi's acting funny."

An amused smile broke out across Eren's face. "I think your cousin's into the red-haired chick."

Mikasa didn't know how to explain it. "I've seen him look at women before but never like that." His eyes were strangely soft, his gaze almost longing. A sad kind of longing. He's usually so aloof.

The band finished their song. "Hey." Eren had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I have an idea." Before she could inquire as to what it was, he quickly made way for the band.

Mikasa wandered closer to Levi. "When are we going home?" She wanted to see if she could pry his attention away from the redhead.

"Soon," her cousin answered distractedly.

"Good."

Levi had a mildly irritated expression on his face, continuing to watch as something Eren said made the woman laugh in delight. "You should go say goodnight to that buffoon."

"Don't call him a buffoon." Mikasa was well aware of her cousin's view on Eren. Levi could be annoyingly overprotective and thought Eren was too hotheaded and a troublemaker. He'll like him even less when he finds out we're dating. She saw Eren kiss the woman's hand, a bright smile on his face. A muscle jumped in Levi's jaw. If looks could kill, Eren would be a pile of ash. She watched her boyfriend come back to them and it was then the redhead saw them.

Mikasa was fascinated to see the way the woman and Levi's eyes locked. So many emotions played out across their faces: shock, longing, sadness, desire, pain. To her, it looked like they ached to reach out and touch each other but were both too scared to move.

Levi stiffened when a man came up to the redhead and he finally came back to reality. "Let's go home."

She badly wanted to know, but she knew he'd keep his lips sealed. There's history between them.

Mikasa had caught Levi spacing out several times. That in itself wasn't unusual. The oddly reminiscent look on his face and the grief in his eyes was. "It all started that evening." She sat cross-legged on her bed.

"You really think he likes her?" Eren was lounging next to her.

"You should have seen the look on his face when you were talking to her. And when you kissed her hand."

"But your cousin doesn't really like Eren," Armin pointed out, sitting at her desk. He was the only one actually studying instead of only pretending to.

"He's right."

"I think they were involved at some point," Mikasa declared.

"She seems too good for him," Eren said. "No offense."

"Do you think you could find out her name?"

Her boyfriend sat up. "You really serious about this?"

"I want to know the whole story."

"Why?"

"I just do." Mikasa didn't want to say it was because she wanted to pay Levi back somehow for everything he had done for her and her family. He was even helping pay for her college tuition.

Armin looked up from his laptop. "You're not gonna try to get them together, are you? What if they hate each other's guts?"

"You didn't see it. There was something between, I'm sure of it. But they separated for some reason. I doubt it was hate."

You don't know any of that for sure," he said. "You're just making guesses."

"True. But I'm not going to trick them into meeting or anything. I just want to know. Please, Eren?"

Eren sighed, "Fine. My brother hired the band. I'm sure he knows how to get in contact with them."

The next day, she got a name. Petra Ral. There was one person Mikasa knew who would have the whole story. But she didn't know how to get in touch with Hange. Duh. She almost slapped herself. Social media.

"What's that?"

Levi quickly pocketed the photo he had been staring at wistfully. "Forget about that. Let's go," he said, grabbing her suitcase and ushering her out the door.

They were on the road within minutes. Classes and work respectively had prevented them from joining her parents, who had already left for her grandparents' house two days earlier for the Ackerman family reunion. They would be on the road for at least two hours. Nowhere for him to run. Perfect. Now's my chance.

"Eren, Armin, and I are going to a concert."

"Who's playing?"

"It's that band from the charity function." She did not miss the way he straightened. "Eren really liked them. He's become quite obsessed with them."

"Or maybe it's just the woman he was flirting with," Levi muttered.

"He wasn't flirting," Mikasa replied defensively. "Anyway, she's not actually part of the band. She was just filling in for a sick member. She plays for the Sina Symphony."

"Impressive."

"Yeah. Petra Ral." At the name, his grip on the steering wheel tightened. "You know her, right? I knew the name sounded familiar. Then I remembered Hange mentioned it once. You guys all went to college together, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Did you ever date her?"

"Hange tell you that?"

"No," she said honestly. "She only told me about you all going to the same university. But I saw both of your faces at the party. What happened?"

"That's not any of your business," he said sternly.

"Did it really end that badly?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why?" Mikasa continued to pry. "How long were you guys together? Your girlfriends only last a few months before you break up. I remember Mom and Dad mentioning you dated a girl for over three years once. They were convinced you guys were going to get married. Was that Petra?"

Levi was beginning to lose his patience. "I'm not talking about this."

"Why not?"

"Because I—" He stopped himself at the last second.

"You cheated on her?"

"Of course not!" Levi finally took his eyes off the road for half a second to shoot her a look of incredulity. "I would never cheat!"

"Okay, so what happened? Did she hurt you?"

He refused to say any more.

Mikasa hadn't been lying to Levi about the concert. Eren really had become a fan after listening to some of the band's songs and dragged her and Armin with him. She had partially agreed because Petra was likely to be there. Whatever had happened between her and Levi intrigued her greatly. Before, it had been mild curiosity, now she was dying to know. Obviously her cousin wasn't over Petra and maybe, just maybe, she could help them both find closure.

She was surprised at the turn-up. They're more popular than I thought. They weren't terrible either. Fortunately, Eren had backstage passes. And as luck would have it, they ran into Petra as she was leaving. Mikasa kept silent until Eren introduced her and Armin. "Petra Ral?" She pretended to think. "I know your name. I think you knew my cousin Levi." The reaction was instantaneous.

"You can catch up," Eren told her and quickly dragged Armin into the room to give them privacy.

There was a soft smile on Petra's face. "How is he?"

"He's well."

"Good." She nodded and attempted to leave. "I—"

"You guys dated for a while, right?"

Petra hesitated before saying, "Yeah."

"Why did you guys break up?"

"It's complicated."

"Did you break his heart?"

"No. He broke mine."

Mikasa decided to confront her cousin when he came over for Sunday dinner. She joined Levi on the couch. He was resting, head leaned back, eyes closed. "I ran into Petra last week."

"What?" His eyes snapped open. She told him about their run-in. Levi rubbed his face, groaning. "Why won't you let this go?"

"Because it's been six years and you're still crazy about her." Before he could deny it, she added. "And she still has feelings for you."

Levi's mouth remained open. No words came out. "She has a boyfriend," he finally said.

"Who told you that?" She pressed. He didn't answer. "Her friends confirmed it. She's single."

"Her friends? What, is Eren your little spy now?"

"Her recent dating history is just like yours. Seems neither of you can hold on to a relationship. They tend to expire within a few months." Mikasa leaned forward. "You still have a chance with her."

"Did she tell you what happened?"

"You guys drifted. You became too work obsessed." She had a feeling it wasn't the entire story. The look on his face confirmed as much.

Levi shook his head, his expression softening for a second. "She was just being kind as usual. After we met Erwin, the little business Farlan, Isabel, and I started in college took off. I was fresh out of university and I gained quick success. It all went to my head," he admitted.

"What happened?"

"Petra was comfortable and happy with who she was and what she had. But I...I guess I—no, I changed. I started out wanting to do my best and earn a lot of money so we could have everything we wanted. Do anything we wanted. But I lost focus. I was surrounded by wealthy people and I saw what they had and it made me feel inferior if my car wasn't the latest model, or my suits weren't designed by some fancy, foreign designer, or if my shoes weren't hand-stitched, or if my watch wasn't the ugliest compared to theirs." He snorted, "That's how you know they're expensive. But worst of all..."

Mikasa nodded, encouraging.

"I wanted..." He looked uncomfortable. "Petra taught children how to play the violin at the time. She had so much potential. But she didn't bother auditioning because I'd told her to do whatever made her happy because my job provided more than enough financially." He shifted, not quite looking her in the eye. "Then I started suggesting she should join the Sina Symphony or one of the other prestigious orchestras around. We argued and she said no, she'd join when she wanted to. One day we went to dinner at a friend's house and I brought up Petra played the violin and asked her to play something. She was more than happy to. I was so proud when my friend's father was so impressed he said if she wanted to join the orchestra he was a part of, he'd be more than happy to help make it happen. They were very well-known and highly regarded."

"You tricked her into auditioning." She barely kept the disproval out of her voice, wanting to be a good listener.

"Yes," Levi said regretfully. "When we got home, Petra was furious and heartbroken. She told me I was starting to become controlling, telling her what to wear and how to behave and now what to do with her life. I was shocked and upset hearing her say that. I was insecure about myself so I tried to fit in as much as possible and wanted her to as well. Looking back now, I may not have explicitly told her what to wear and what not to but I only took her to fancy clothing stores and bought her expensive gifts because of course, brand name things would show how much I loved her despite knowing she had simpler tastes. I excused getting memberships to country clubs and talking only about topics they were interested in and parroting back their views to keep them happy because it was for the best of the company."

"Then what happened?" Mikasa asked when he couldn't seem to get the words out.

He took a deep breath. "She called me out on my insecurity and growing obsession with getting more money and turning into someone else. It was all true of course, but I refused to accept it and naturally, I acted like a jackass. I told her she was the insecure one. She had all the resources and she still couldn't get a respectable job even when one was offered to her on a silver platter. She couldn't make something of herself like I did and forget contributing anything to our relationship, she didn't even have the decency not to embarrass me in front of everyone by acting so middle-class."

The grief and guilt coming off him in waves kept Mikasa from snapping at him for his asinine remarks. It was already hard enough for him as it was. She wanted to know, but he needed to tell someone more.

"We continued to yell at each other for a long time before finally going to bed in separate rooms. I left early the next morning and came back late. Petra was waiting for me, her things all packed. She said I was turning into someone she didn't recognize or like. I was no longer the man she fell in love with. I was suffocating her and she was leaving. I think she waited for me to stop her." His voice wavered. "But I asked her why the hell she was still standing there and told her to leave and never come back." He paused. "That was over six years ago and I didn't see her again. Not until that charity gala a few weeks back."

"You were wrong," Mikasa finally said after digesting everything.

"I know. Didn't take me long to learn I could not stay happy without her, no matter how hard I tried."

"Then why didn't you try to get her back?"

"Pride." Levi shrugged. "Shame, anger, hurt. I was being stubborn. Then it was too late."

"You have a second chance now."

"No. I've hurt her enough. She doesn't need to see me again."

"You were a total dick." Mikasa gave him a stern look. "You owe her an apology at the very least."

"It was so long ago. Does she really need me drudging up those terrible memories after all this time? I'm sure she's happier with me not interfering in her life."

"Oh shut up and stop making excuses. You need to do this to move on with your life. And even if she has happily moved on—which she hasn't—it would still mean a great deal," she insisted. "Trust me. It matters. Those painful memories will always be a part of her and an apology will do more good than you think. Petra may not forgive you but that's up to her."

"Mikasa," he said tiredly, "I'm not sure if it's the right—"

"You know what I think? I think you're scared she won't forgive you. At least going on the miserable way you have, you can convince yourself she's the one who left even when you think there was a possibility you could have stopped her. Admit it, you're scared that if you confront her, it'll confirm you were an asshole and it was your fault the relationship ended in shambles. You can't live with that guilt so you're happy to pretend you won't follow my advice for her sake instead of your own."

Levi stared at her, stunned speechless.

"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Ackerman said cheerfully, oblivious to their mood. "I know you two must be starving!"

"Did you see that?"

"Hm?" Mikasa fiddled with her phone absent-mindedly.

"Are you paying attention?" Eren asked from the carpet.

"Yeah," she said distractedly. She saw the stats on the TV. "Your team won. Nice."

Eren put the controller away and joined her on the couch. "You know, Armin left for work so he won't be back until tonight," he said with that familiar glint in his eyes. His lips were on hers immediately, kissing her heatedly. His hands kept a solid grip on her waist as he continued to kiss her.

Mikasa blinked when he pulled back, surprised by the sudden lack of warmth of his lips against hers, just as she was starting to get into it.

"What's on your mind? You're normally a little more into it than that."

"Sorry. I was still thinking about Levi and Petra. It's just so sad."

"Petra's an angel. Your cousin's the world's biggest idiot for letting her go because of his damn ego and now he's crying about it. Serves him right."

"I really think it's the best thing for them to sit down and talk about it."

"But that's their decision."

"Yeah. I know. I just feel so invested."

"Hey, who doesn't love a happy ending? Especially for people they care about. I get it."

Mikasa shook her head. There was nothing she could do. She had tried to nudge—shove—Levi in the right direction. It was his life. Whatever happened now was up to him. She smiled, pulling Eren's face closer to hers. "I believe we have some unfinished business to attend to."

Mikasa went home that weekend. Her parents had met Eren a few times but it was the first time they would be meeting him as her boyfriend and that made her nervous. She didn't want anything to go wrong. She put her book down, hearing the knock at her door. "Yeah? Levi? What are you doing here?"

"Your parents invited me over for dinner." Levi snorted, "Relax. No need to look so worried. I already know about you and that moron Yeager."

"How did you know?"

Her cousin joined her on the floor, back against the bed. "I've seen the way he looks at you." She couldn't help but smile at his words. "I still think he's an idiot."

"Of course you do." She placed a bookmark between the pages and closed her novel. "So, how are things with you?"

"You mean how are things between Petra and me?"

"Are there things between you and Petra?"

"Didn't your little spy tell you?"

"We haven't been back from the university in two weeks. Eren's not big on social media and likes to catch up with people in person. Now, you didn't answer my question."

"I talked with her."

"How'd it go?" She tried not to appear too eager.

"It went well."

She couldn't help the optimism at those words. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "I told her I was sorry for everything that happened. I accepted my faults. We talked and she apologized for things she was sorry for. It felt good. I gave her my number if she wanted to talk. Maybe see if we could be friends again. Though I know it'll take a while. I told her she was more than welcome to rip it up and toss it if that was what she wanted."

"I'm so proud of you." Mikasa patted his shoulder. "You managed a good apology without me having to hold your hand and guide you through it."

"No shit. It was my apology. It couldn't come from you, obviously. I had to do it myself."

"Is that why you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't want any unsolicited advice."

"If it weren't for my unsolicited advice, you'd be moping around all lonely and sad and miserable for the rest of your life." Her words earned her an eye-roll. "Do you think," Mikasa began cautiously, "you guys might try again? Mom and Dad finally talked about you guys after I told them I knew and told me a lot of stories. That kind of love doesn't fade easily." Even after six years, they couldn't bring themselves to love someone like they had each other.

"I don't know," Levi said. "I wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to." He sighed. "But for now, I'm happy we're on talking terms."

"It's a start," she agreed.

"I will do my best to just be a good friend and wait and hope to see if she decides to give us another shot."

Mikasa smiled, pleased. "I knew it would do you both good to talk it out."

"You are never letting this go, are you?"

"Nope. And because you now owe me big time, you won't grill Eren and harass him."

"You're right. I won't. So I'll embarrass you instead by telling him stories about you," he said, smug. "Like the time you were ten and we went to a circus and how you wet yourself when you saw that clown."

"Don't you dare!"

"What was that nickname we gave you after that?" Levi pretended to think.

"Eren has Petra's phone number, you know. You embarrass me and I'll tell her about—"

"Don't even bother. Between Isabel and Hange, they covered all of my embarrassing stories."

"Levi, you can't," Mikasa whined, tugging his arm.

"What? You don't want him to know about Mikasa Pee-Pee Pants?" He laughed at her mortified expression.

She growled, shoving him. "Asshole! I never should have helped you. I should have left you to die a miserable, lonely old Scrooge!"

"Okay, okay I won't," Levi held up his hands, smiling. "But I'm still grilling him and making him squirm. Have to make sure he's good enough for you."

"Of course you will."

"Hey, that's what family's for."

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