Child's game 4
"Captain!" the girl hurried to stand between Oluo and Levi, who was taken aback by her actions and serious attitude "you better sit down for a moment. Oluo is leaving." She turned to look at the soldier, telling him with her eyes that it was time to flee.
"I'm… I'm so sorry…" he babbled that and left the office, confused and worried for the Captain's attitude, as well as her fellow squad member. Deep down, he knew it might not have been the best moment to tease Petra, but he never imagined his Superior in charge could react like that. Apparently, he woke up something that was buried deep in his past, but that showed up with that strange amnesia he had.
Meanwhile, inside the office, Eren was ready to contain the Captain in case he decided to attack the other soldier, although he had a hunch it wouldn't b easy. On the other side, he was a still a Little astonished because of Petra's attitude. As for her, as soon as she made sure Levi was sitting and he didn't want to go after Oluo, she approached the window again to get some fresh air and take deep breaths.
She was still mad at Oluo, but at the same time she felt responsible for her superior's reaction and feared for what might have happened. Suddenly, Eren's voice took her out if her thoughts.
"Are you alright, Petra? If you want to, I could go get Gunter or Erd, or I can stay with the Captain if…"
"No, it won't be necessary, Eren." She answered, still looking through the window "I shouldn't have reacted like that and…" she finally looked at him, doing her best to show him a smile and make him feel at ease, but suddenly, she felt Levi's intense gaze on her and looked at him worried "I'm sorry, I…"
"I don't like when they treat women like rough." His voice was gloomy.
"Oh, it's not that. Oluo was only joking and…" she tried to explain, but the Captain interrupted her.
"But you didn't like his joke at all and it made you mad."
"That's true." He spoke with sincerity "although it wouldn't bother me so much in other circumstances. I know it's only a way to get attention. It's just that I'm not really in the modo to tolerate him. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lost patience like that."
"If he does it again, I'll kick his ass. He's just like those men who visit mom… first, they say they are joking and then.." Levi's face got dark while he remembered the things he had seen in his mom's house, but when he felt the girl's hand on his shoulder, those images went away and he relaxed. His warning was sincere and both of his subordinates understood it, not completely understanding what was it about, but it didn't take much imagination to figure out what he actually meant.
A few minutes later, he apparently forgot about the conflict and expectantly looked at Petra, who was still keeping an eye on him.
"Are w going to continue with the reading today?"
"If course, if you want to." The girl relaxed and showed him a tiny smile. Then, she looked at Eren and asked "What was your favorite story when you were a child?"
"My favorite story?" he thought for an instant "I don't remember the name. It was a story my mom used to tell me, about a girl that, trying o save her father, she became prisoner in an enchanted castle with a horrible beast and…"
"Oh, I know which one you're talking about!" she finally smiled, remembering the story that was also one of her favorited and then, she hurried to take one of the books she left in the bookshelf the day before "lucky for us, it's in one of these books." She opened it and looked through the pages "here it is."
The afternoon passed without any other significant event. Both soldiers and the Captain were very entertained reading the beauty and the beast and, apparently Eren's theory was true to certain degree, since it was easy for Levi to learn some letters again, as if those memories were in a deep corner o his mind, waiting to be remembered.
Before the night fell, the temperature began to decrease and it looked like a storm was coming. When Petra noticed Eren didn't have his jacket with him, she left him go back to his rom so he wouldn't catch a flu. Besides, he seemed to be very tired, and before he was gone, he went down to the kitchen to get some tea for her and the Captain.
When they were left alone, Levi continued with the reading and drank tea with the girl. He took the cup by the handle, careful not to get burned with the hot beverage and took a sip. When she noticed the way he drank, he felt confused. The Captain had always grabbed the cups in a very peculiar way and she couldn't help but wonder about it.
"Hm...Levi?" he looked at the girl, waiting for her to keep talking "don't you think it's easier to grab the cup in… I don't know, in a different way?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean something like this." She grabbed the cup by the edges, imitating the peculiar way the Captain always did, at least since she met him. She almost dropped the cup, since it was a little uncomfortable.
"It's very hard to grab it like that." he made a pause and then looked at her with suspicion "the military have very strange customs."
"No, it's not that. We don't actually grab them like that. It's just that…. I thought it would be easier for you because…" she didn't know what else to tell him "just grab it however you like." She smiled and thought that, perhaps the reason behind that bizarre custom of his, was the result of something that happened in his past life.
Slowly, the sky began to get cloudy and Petra thought it would be better if the Captain went back to his room, before there were more soldiers in the barracks because of the rain and, conveniently, small drops of water began to fall from the sky as soon as they entered his room. When he noticed it, Levi ran to approach the window, fascinated by the rain. He'd never seen raindrops like that, without anything to block the way.
As for the girl, she took a glance at her superior's room. It was pristine, except from the bed, which was undone since the early morning, but without much effort, Petra could imagine his room always immaculate. In many occasions, she had wondered what his room would look like, and truth to be told, the reality was quite similar to the image inside her mind. The room was a little bigger than the soldiers'. Being one of the highest ranks in the legion, Levi earned certain amenities, like a bigger room with its own bathroom and a beautiful view towards the woods nearby the barracks.
Petra decided to sit in the chair next to the desk, thinking about something that could keep the captain entertained before going to bed, but he interrupted her when he started to tell her about the rain in the underground city. When it rained in there, the water fell through some cracks in the caverns and when they finally reached the floor, it was practically mud. There were also some small sites on the city limits where the sky could be seen through small holes on the heights and, with some luck, rain fell as clean water.
Levi told Petra how much he liked to see the rain with his mother, who sometimes took the opportunity to gather some clean water. The captain shared some details about his past life, which had been very harsh and the girl couldn't help but thinking the circumstances of his past had been very unfair and cruel for a little child. The memories Levi had about his mother were happy, although he seemed to have some uncomfortable memories about her job and the abuses she received from her clients.
Levi was sitting on the desk, while Petra listened to his story and, suddenly he felt the warmth of her hand on his, as if he was trying to console him somehow. She looked at him with tenderness and the Captain felt shocked, since it was unexpected, but he immediately smiled and held her hand
"It must have been though for you." Her voice was sweet and serene "but I think you are very brave for surviving it."
"Do you really think so, Petra?"
"Yes." She smiled again and a light blush appeared on her cheeks "actually, you are the bravest man I know."
Suddenly, she became very aware of the situation they were and with a quick movement, she took her hand away from him and looked away. In that moment, the bookcase next to the bathroom door seemed to be the most interesting thing on earth and she stood up to examine it, avoiding the Captain's gaze. Still, his eyes followed her while a smile appeared on his face. He looked at her warmth and his blue eyes shone while they rested on her silhouette, but a moment later, he heard a thunder in the distance and became got very surprised..
"What is that'!"
"What is what?" she was alarmed because of the tone Levi used.
"That noise" he looked around, fearing for the worse and when it sounded again, he looked at her with horror in his eyes "is it a titan?"
"That noise?" she looked through the window "don't be afraid, it's just thunder. Apparently, there's a storm."
"I don't like those noises…." Shen another thunder sounded, Levi stood very close to the wall, as if he wanted to hide.
"It's alright, come." She made a movement so Levi would get closer to the desk "why don't we play with shadows to pass the time'"
Levi looked at her with concern, discerning if he should believe her or not, but to be honest, he didn't have a reason not to trust her, so he approached her and Petra lighted the candle on the desk. It was dark enough for the light to project clear shadows, and they began to play with them.
At night, Erd knocked on the door. It was his turn to take care of the Captain and he entered the room with a grin.
"Hi… am I interrupting?"
"Not at all, Erd. Did you have enough rest?" the soldier brought a food tray with him and put it in the desk.
"Yes. Enough to keep an eye on the Captain tonight." Levi seemed to be relaxed and pleased, he looked at Erd "tomorrow morning Gunther will be here, then Oluo with Eren and then you. I'll spend the night tomorrow as well.
"Understood." The girl stood up and approached her colleague "I guess…. I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck and, just in case, remember that my room is at the end of the hall, in the floor below." She made a pause "rest well, Captain. See you tomorrow."
And then she left the room, headed towards hers and noticing the storm continued. Without a doubt, she lost track of time and didn't notice her surroundings while she played with Levi. Suddenly, before she could get farther from the room, she felt something pulling her jacket and when she turned, she became surprised after seeing the Captain's hand. She noticed his gaze was fixed on the floor, as if he was ashamed and even a little afraid, a gesture he'd never shown before.
"Don't… don't go…"
"Captain!" Erd hurried to catch him up.
"What's wrong?" she got closer to the captain, looking for his eyes.
"Please, don't leave me alone at night" his voice was sad and frightened.
"But Captain, it wouldn't be right. I mean, if someone…" Petra tried to explain while she blushed a little, looking around in case there was another soldier nearby, and Erd looked at them a little confused.
"I… I'm scared of the lightning… when the sky sounds like that, bad things happen." There was nostalgia in his voice, a genuine feeling with certainty that something could happen if he stayed alone.
Petra looked at him sweetly in the eyes and then the three of them went back to the room. There, the girl tried to comfort him and caressed his arm, but suddenly she met Erd's puzzled gaze, and before he could say something, she hurried to whisper.
"He is afraid of the lightning and…" the soldier interrupted her, finally understanding what was going on.
"Don't worry Captain. I won't let anything happen to you. You can sleep peacefully while…"
"I want Petra to stay with me, not you." His voice was deep and for an instant, both soldiers were speechless. Perhaps their Captain was back, based on his attitude, and yet, they knew he would never say something like that, despite showing some predilection towards the girl once in a while.
"But Captain, it wouldn't be appropriate that…"
"I said, I want Petra to stay with me!" apparently, he had made his choice and there was little the soldier could do about it.
"Very well," after looking at each other with serious eyes, the girl touched Erd's shoulder in a persuasive way and softly spoke "for me, there is no problem. Besides, considering the situation, I don't think..."
"Don't even joke about it!" Erd's expression became shady "you would be committing a very serious crime and…"
"Erd!" she blushed and pushed him "I didn't mean…" then, the soldier began to laugh "ey, that's not fair! I thought you were being serious."
"You should have seen your face, Petra." He kept laughing "alright, you can stay." He smiled "I'll be back in the morning to make sure no one sees you leaving the room and to wait for the next turn. We don't want anyone to misunderstand the situation. It will be a secret between us."
"I'd appreciate that."
"The diner is there, so… would you like me to bring you something else? Perhaps a blanket or… perhaps you won't even feel cold if you sleep with him." His attitude became thoughtful, but he was evidently not being serious.
"Just go already!" she pushed him while he started to laugh again and she hid her blush.
"Behave, Captain. Remember that Petra is a girl, so…" he took the door's knob to open it "don't do anything I wouldn't do." He winked and left the room, followed by a book the girl threw at him with indignation.
"It's not funny."
"What's not funny?" immediately asked Levi, very confused.
"That…" she didn't know what to answer "because of… adult stuff…" she was about to say something else, but another lightning was heard in the distance and the Captain hid under the blankets.
"There's nothing to be afraid of." She got closer and lighted a candle on the nightstand "see? There's nothing here. Those are only sounds coming from the thunders. Nothing will happen." He looked at the girl and then around the room, as if he was looking for something that could be hidden in the shadows.
"Thank you."
"Besides, titans don't make those sounds. I assure you."
While they had dinner, the girl told him about the missions and expeditions they had survived and described him the looks of the titans and how they were killed, until she noticed Levi's sleepy face.
"I think it's time to sleep. Why don't you rush your teeth while I look for something more comfortable for you to sleep." Levi glanced at her as if he was about to object, but finally he nodded and headed towards the bathroom.
Meanwhile, the girl wondered what kind of clothes did the Captain used to sleep. At first glance, he didn't seem like the type who would wear a pajama, but in different occasion, she became rather surprised after assuming something about him, particularly his cleaning outfit. Given the circumstances, it wouldn't be a bad idea to let him sleep with the military uniform, but she was sure he'd slept with it the night before and it needed to be washed, so she decided to look into the drawers.
She picked a cotton long sleeved shirt that seemed comfortable enough to sleep with and a pair of loose black trousers. Then, she waited for him to open the door and, before he went out, she handed him the clothes, telling him to put it on, and he agreed without any further objection.
"When you're done, give me your uniform so I can put it with the laundry clothes, please." She said from the room, wondering if he heard her through the door, but suddenly her doubts were cleared when Levi abruptly opened the door.
"What did you say?" he looked at her, tilting his head in confusion. He was only wearing the trousers, so he bare chest was exposed.
"I said that…" she looked at him for an instant and then she looked away, ashamed for seeing him like that. Despite the Captain being a strong man, his complexion was rather slim, but in that moment, Petra confirmed a couple things she had wondered in the past. Number 1: yes, his muscles were perfectly ripped and number 2: as crazy as it might be, she felt terribly attracted to him "when you're done, give me your clothes to put them with the laundry…" she said as she walked towards the window, intentionally avoiding looking at him.
"Alright." Then he entered the bathroom again and finished dressing up.
Once he was outside, he handed her his uniform, which was all tangled and seriously needed to be washed.
When Levi finally got in bed, Petra got a chair to be close to him and sat down. The storm continued, but the thunders were less frequent. Still, every time the sky sounded, he looked rather afraid, so the girl decided to keep talking. She told him about life inside the walls, while he listened with attention. When he lost his memories, he forgot about how things were in the surface and all seemed like a fairy tale. Nevertheless, and despite wishing to listen until the story was done, it was impossible for him. He fell asleep and a few minutes later, Petra noticed it. She smiled and began to think about a strategy to be aware of his movement, but being comfortable at the same time and suddenly, she felt the Captain's hand looking for hers, taking it to make sure she was still close.
At first, Petra was surprised, but then a huge grin appeared on her lips. She didn't have a heart to get away from him, so he just adjusted the chair right next to the wall and she leaned on the headboard. That way, she could sleep a little, but immediately would notice if Levi stood from the bed.
At first, she was determined to stay awake, but slowly, she was defeated by her tiredness and put her feet on the bed to be more comfortable, until a few hours later she fell asleep.
Author's notes.
Thank you so much for continue reading my story. Sorry for the late update, but I've been a little busy with my work. Teaching teenagers is exhausting… but I still enjoy it… any comments are welcome and please, enjoy the reading!