Chapter 16: Call me Petra

Levi had been on his way to the door to see to the commotion outside his room. He nearly had enough drama in one night nor was he in any particularly good mood either.

The last thing he expected was for the honey haired maiden to stumble in and before he could so much as blink, her face closed in, mouth pressed up against his, lips slightly parted in surprise somewhere mid process.

Several emotions soured through him in that second: Disbelief at this disposition, even annoyance at whatever it was that had Petra stumble into him like this but he was astounded at how aversion was not one of them.

Petra's eyes grew like saucers in the same time that her hands came up against Levi's chest and she tripped to step away from him. "I'm so—!"

"It's fine", Levi replied shortly, directing his irate gaze at the man behind Petra, understanding the situation, "Oh you look disappointed. Is it that much of a shock to be rejected by someone you were forcing your sorry self on?"

"Easy. I didn't know she was taken. " The male in the hall mumbled with his hands held up in defense as he shook his head and turned to walk off.

Taken?! Petra stood frozen from the brief kiss, hand cupped over her mouth as her eyes darted from the fleeing man and back to Levi whose clipped expression hinted at his obvious annoyance.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been waiting outside your room—wait, why are you locking the door?" Her last question came out in hurried panic.

"I don't like disturbances." He shot her a stoic expression after turning back around from the door, waiting for her to continue. He really despised disturbances, in fact. And he didn't need a second in one night. Actually regarding the ginger head now, he noted how she appeared nervous, hands wrung in front as she bit her lip out of habit. He noticed she did that quite a bit, at least, around him.

"You were waiting outside?" Levi urged on patiently.

"Yes", She cleared her throat rather confidently to make her next point just as her eyes caught sight of something unexpected that lay atop the writing desk in the room. "Is that...a pitcher with my tea in it?"

Levi's eyes slowly slid to fall on the object in question. He had forgotten he had taken that.

So he was the one that had emptied out the kettle and kept the tea for himself? Petra couldn't help letting out a small laugh from escaping her as she held her fist against her mouth.

"What the hell's so funny?" He felt like his shirt was suddenly too tight around his neck. What was this damned uncomfortable feeling? He opted to stare confused at the girl, half regretting doing so when she visibly flinched, realizing his stare was very similar to his glare.

"Nothing. I'm glad you like my tea." She hesitated, taking a deep breath. "I just came here to say thank you for saving me from Vlak and-" her fingers absently fiddled with the the necklace she now wore, "For everything tonight. I know I've been avoiding you. It's no mystery...But I'm beginning to come to terms with feeling a little more comfortable."

Levi fell back to sit on the edge of the desk, his hands bracing the ledge as he listened to her ramble, uncharacteristic of the girl since she barely spoke more than two sentences around him. He rather didn't mind.

"Are you ready?"

"Hm?" Petra stopped, half relieved she was cut off from having to continue tripping over her words, bracing a glance up at him.

"It's going to be hard. Newspapers say the war is coming to a close. We're going to have to hide out in Poland until then before we can take you back. Are you ready for this journey?" He half accepted the girl to ask him if she really had a choice so it was a sweet surprise when she responded loud and clear, determination etched in her features.

"I am."

/

Later early that morning, despite the celebrations and festivity of the night trudging on like there was no tomorrow, the crew decided to regroup in the basement of the same building.

Petra drank in her new surroundings as they walked into the large underground shop that appeared a lot like it housed the world's creepiest plush dolls and such. She recoiled her hand as it accidentally brushed past a human size stuffed skeleton man with ruby red eyes she almost swore glinted in the dark just before the chandelier lights flickered on. Levi stood on the other side of the massive room, fixating her with an absurd look.

"Why are you so on edge?"

"Ah…" Petra looked to find the right words, biting her lip in concentration. "Is this where we'll be staying tonight?"

Petra couldn't be so sure but she thought she saw the dark haired male's eyes narrow at something behind her for a quick second before his face fell back to an impassive frown. "Did you have somewhere else in mind?"

"No," She almost cut him off.

Shane came hauling in a bag of supplies they had been carrying along with them which proved as the perfect distraction. She began helping him unload the contents.

"Here's som'a those cans of corn and beans for when we really wanna treat ourselves," The blonde mused, grinning at Petra as she blinked and took the said cans in her hands before placing them on a nearby table which was already covered with cotton fibers and stitching supplies. She almost poked herself with a large needle jutting out from a pin holster in the shape of a witch.

"You'd think this place was haunted if it weren't for the war being more scary, Eh Levi?" Hangi came waddling through carrying a massive box. She must have retrieved it from the actual bar upstairs.

Levi however was occupied running his finger across the table top covered in supplies, his finger coming back pasty and white. The male clicked his tongue, his eyes narrowing in disgust.

This small gesture almost made Petra laugh just as she pursed her lips and looked away quickly.

Shane stopped sorting through their food rations, pausing at Petra's expression and mistaking it for unease. "Heyy, I know it's the basement but we aren't gonna stay that long here, arright?" He hesitated then leaned across the table muddled with sewing supplies, placing a steady hand on the girl's shoulder and shooting her an encouraging smile.

The ginger head simply nodded, not feeling it necessary to explain she felt quite alright knowing she was in the company of these three.

"Well! Let's get some shut eye. We have some folk looking out for Vlak so get some rest for now." Hangi adjusted her glasses, creepily waving her fingers at Petra before heading toward the room next door. But just as quickly, the brunette spun back on the heels of her feet, placing her hands atop her hips while grinning in Levi's direction. "There are only two beds. Guess you'll be sharing with me, Levi, hu hu."

"Don't be ridiculous. Keep the blasted bed to yourself."

Hangi gave a low chuckle at that before stalking away into the room.

Petra tried to sleep afterwards, she did. But with Shane snoring on the bed beside her and the events from the long night playing in her head, she had very little luck with the task.

Succumbing to her sleeplessness, she slipped out from her side of the bed basked in pitch darkness. Trying her best to feel for anything on the floor with her feet before advancing ahead, she tiptoed towards the main hall in search of the bathroom.

Unsuspecting of the sliver of white light cascading out from the edges of what Petra identified as the bathroom door, her hand reached for the handle only to miss its mark as the door flew open and there in the glory of the light flooding out from behind him stood Levi in only a towel from his recent bath.

Petra would have normally let out a yell of surprise but she found her throat now incredibly parched and mind stricken with shock. Her eyes, in their sleepless daze, grazed over the firm built of his shoulders, the tough muscle packing his abdomen and back up to the way his hair was dripping rivulets of water. His grey eyes lay a mix of slight surprise and something unreadable.

"I...I…" Began the ginger head, taking a step back.

"Need to use the restroom," Levi finished for her as a statement with a slight tilt of his head. "How long were you waiting?"

"Not long." I wasn't waiting at all, I was about to open the door! She practically scolded herself.

A pause. "I'm done now. You can go."

"No! I mean, alright but I think I," Petra was struggling for words, unsure if she was more ruffled from being caught staring or from the male not finding this situation odd at all like she did. "I left something in my b-AAH!" Her foot caught onto something sharp, tripping terribly.

In the very moment she realized her demise was the moment strong arms came around her, holding her in place.

"Tch they really need to clean this hell hole," came Levi's voice in a breath near her ear and her face heated up magnificently. The male's arms squeezed around her waist just enough to reposition her on more stable footing, letting go soon after.

The raven haired male then peered at her. And in her flustered state, she thought she detected a hint of something she never really saw play across his expression. Was it smugness?

"You have a talent for waiting outside doors." He stated plainly, suddenly, but the slight curve at the edge of his lips proved he was more than just observing. He was amused.

The honey head found her voice somehow, laughing at that. "I do...don't I."

"Maybe it would be easier for you if I left a bell outside since you refuse to knock."

Well now this playful nature was something foreign. "I reckon I wouldn't use a bell if I can't even use my hand to knock." Since when was she good at wit?

A pause before a breathy chuckle sounded in the silence and looking up through her lashes, Petra stood shocked to find Levi with his lips fully turned up in humor at her reprise.

She had never seen him look like that. Like all of a sudden he didn't actually have the weight of everyone's lives on his shoulders, like the war wasn't actually a burden on his conscience. Like he had this moment of carefree calm where he could just be himself, teasing warmth radiating from his eyes.

Petra felt her breath leave her.

Was this the first time he didn't look so hard to approach and high strung?

"Hey. Why do you look like you saw a ghost?"

Crap. There she went with the shocked staring again. Shaking her head quickly, causing her hair to sweep her cheeks, she replied, "You should probably...change…"

Levi raised a brow at that. Then, without warning, he reached his hand out and patted her head before walking off, "Get some sleep, brat."

"Petra.

Just...call me Petra."

Levi stopped at that, turning his head sideways but the ginger head had already turned towards the bathroom, shutting the door softly after her.