Siren Part II

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Previously: Levi's ship is attacked and destroyed. He gets saved from sharks by a mermaid and she offers to take him to safety.

The moon hovered over the dark water, full and big and bright, casting a reflection in the ocean. Levi held the blanket tighter around his shoulders, breath visible in the cold night. The flag of the navy flying high above him caught his eyes and he found himself feeling a familiar sense of irony. For years he had spent running away from the navy, and now he was a part of it. Serving under the same man who had destroyed his ship that fateful day he encountered a siren. Petra would love the story behind it.

Months had passed since his meeting with Petra and he still thought about her everyday. Levi had never told anyone about it. At first he himself had a hard time believing it happened. It was too unreal to believe.

A splashing sound snapped him out of his thoughts. Rushing to the hull of the ship, the bright moonlight making visibility easy, he searched for a ginger head.

Disappointment covered his face. He had been hoping to run into her again. Stupid, he chided himself. He shook his head and turned back.

Something small like a pebble then connected with the back of his head.

Levi's breath caught up in his throat when he saw her, bathed in moonlight, even more beautiful than he remembered. She gestured for him to come down and he climbed down the side of the ship and lowered the small boat into the water.

"Hi, Levi." Petra pulled herself up into the boat, tail flapping gently in the ocean, the moonlight bringing out the silver in her gold, silver, and green scales.

He stared at her in awe. "You're here." He wanted tempted to reach out and touch her.

"I've been hearing rumors about you and followed you."

"I've been asking about you, too. Asking about a red-haired siren." Somehow, the knowledge of her name felt too private to share. It was only for him to know. "They only repeated the same stories—lies—everyone's heard that sirens lure men with their beautiful looks and hypnotic voices, then reveal their true predatory natures and devour them."

Petra nodded in approval. "Good."

"What?" That he had not expected. "I thought you didn't like the vicious things my kind says about yours."

"Yes, the man-eating thing is stupid but it does offer some protection. Most sailors try not to tangle with us. But," she said and gave him a wild grin, "we are very capable of turning into the ferocious creatures from your stories. Mostly it's a form we take when fighting each other or when we seriously need to defend ourselves against aggressors. Wanna see it?" She wiggled her fingers, nails lengthening into razor-sharp claws.

Levi swallowed, intrigued and intimidated. She threw her head back and laughed. His attention went down to her chest momentarily before ripping his eyes away. But he had not moved fast enough apparently, because she glanced down to where he had been looking before looking to him. "Hey." She leaned forward.

He licked his lips nervously. "Yes?"

She took his hands between hers, then pressed them to her naked, wet breasts.

Levi felt his face warm. "W-What are you doing?"

"Why?" She giggled. "Isn't this what you were thinking about?" She batted her long lashes at him.

"No!"

"Then why are you still holding them, hmm?"

Levi snatched his arms back when he realized she wasn't forcing his hands against her chest. He cleared his throat, mind racing to change the subject. There had been so many things he had wanted to tell her about, but all he could think about was the fullness of her breasts and the mischievous smirk on her face. "You...siren!" How easily she could reduce him, a former pirate captain with a fierce reputation and still one of the best swordsmen in the world, to a flustered mess.

Petra laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

"Stop laughing." Although his attempt was half-hearted at best.

"But you're so cute when you're flustered and start blushing!"

A sigh escaped him. He could sit there and watch her and listen to her forever. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Where do sirens come from? I've only ever heard of females. How do you procreate?"

There was a cheeky grin on her face as she answered. "Been thinking a lot about having intimate relations with a siren, have you?"

"Get your mind out of the bedroom, it's pure curiosity."

"Why don't you tell me how you ended up serving under Erwin Smith?"

There was an oddly giddy feeling in his chest, knowing she was interested enough in him to know what he was up to. "It's a long story." Levi began recounting the tale involving greedy officials, the surprisingly larger-than-life and charismatic navy commander, and a plan to root out the corruption and change the government.

"It's certainly a fascinating story," Petra said, intrigued. "And it sounds dangerous."

"It is."

"Don't die, Levi. I'm quite fond of you."

His heart did a little flip at her words and the sound of his name on her tongue.

"Levi?" A voice on the deck called out and their heads snapped up.

Before he could react, Petra quietly dove back into the water, disappearing down into the depths of the ocean. Levi exhaled in irritation, glaring up at the ship. When he was certain the man on the deck was gone, he climbed back up.

Every night after that he waited in the boat for her to return, but she never did.

"You've been in a bad mood for weeks."

Levi took a swig from his mug. "I'm just itching to sail again, soon."

"I can understand that." Erd, his fellow naval soldier, nodded. "But it's good to rest. I wouldn't mind staying here for another week."

"Of course you wouldn't. I'm surprised you're here and not attached to your fiancée's hip. Congratulations again on that."

"Thanks. You should find someone for yourself—"

"And that's my cue." Levi finished his beer and left the tavern. Not having a home of his own—the ship had always been his home—Erwin had offered to let him stay in his stupidly big mansion within dozens of rooms. Who even needed that much space? You could hide a small army there.

As they often did now, his thoughts turned to Petra. Those few minutes had not been enough. Levi wanted more time, hours, days, years with her. Yet somehow even that still didn't feel enough. Idiot, picking the worst possible woman to fall for. Why couldn't his damn heart have picked a normal, decent human female?

Reaching the Smith estate, his attention was captured by the ginger-haired woman talking to the gardener. There was a pang in his heart, the color of the woman's hair reminding him of the beautiful siren who had saved his life and continued to haunt his dreams.

Levi stopped in his tracks when the woman turned her head.

He could recognize that profile anywhere. "Petra?" The name left his mouth without permission. Sure enough, when the woman turned, it was indeed the siren. "How are you—" He bit back the words "on land?" and cleared his throat. "How are you?" He repeated casually. "What're you doing here?"

"Hello, Levi!" Petra ditched the gardener and ran up to him. "I came to see you!"

He wanted to say so much, but it was too open to speak freely. "Come on. Let's go talk inside." He ushered her indoors, unable to keep from staring at her, still having a hard time believing she was there. Petra watched the servant place the tray of tea and some snacks on the table before taking her leave and giving them privacy. "It's tea. Try it," he encouraged, pushing the teacup toward her.

She imitated him, gently picking up the cup by the delicate stem, blowing softly before taking a cautious sip. She wrinkled her nose cutely.

"Here." Levi mixed two sugar cubes and handed the cup back to her.

She took a sip. "Hmm, more."

Three sugar cubes.

Sip. "More."

Levi complied.

"More."

"I think it's more sugar than tea now," Levi said incredulously, adding yet another sugar cube. This time she smiled at the sip, utterly delighted. His insides practically melted at the sight. What was she doing to him? Levi cleared his throat. "How are you here?" His gaze fell to the legs under her long skirt and boots. "How do you have legs?"

"We sirens can temporarily take on the form of a human female and come to land."

"How long can you stay like this?"

Petra shrugged. "For years at a time if we want, as long as we stay hydrated and submerge in water every six hours or so. This is also how we mate."

"Mate?"

"Yes. You asked last time where sirens come from. This is how." She gestured to her fully human body. "Human men find us quite irresistible, physically, so it is easy to charm them. Once we lie with them and become pregnant, we stay on land until we've given birth, then return home to the ocean with our daughters. Once the child is submerged in the ocean water, she will become a siren."

"What if you fell in love with the father of your daughter?" Levi blurted, feeling a small flame of hope. "Couldn't you stay on land and be a family?"

"You're not a siren so you wouldn't understand the call of the ocean. It's very hard to resist," she replied and his heart fell. "But it's not impossible. I've heard of a story where a siren fell for a man and they married and lived happily together." He felt his hopes renewed and it must have shown on his face because she eyed him interestedly. "Is that what you want, Levi?"

"What?" Was he that obvious?

"Because if you do want that, it works out perfectly."

"I don't under—"

"I want to have a baby with you."

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