"I missed this so much!" Petra said, happily jogging to her man sitting at his office desk. He pulled her into his lap. He knew she liked to be as close as possible and he didn't mind.

They got back from the expedition a couple of days earlier and only now Levi had time to actually spend with her alone, where they could openly express their attraction.

Petra embraced her captain and took a deep breath of the scent of his neck. She felt like flying. The endorphins from being in his arms were making her ecstatic. When she decided to confess her feelings towards him only a couple of weeks prior, she didn't expect to learn he actually liked her back. She knew it was not the same, because what she felt towards him was like nothing she ever lived though before. From the moment she first saw him as a young cadet, she became obsessed with the idea of getting closer to him. It started as a crush, but the more she got to know him, her obsession grew as rapidly. After a year in his squad, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She was already devoted, ready to do anything for him and she told him all about it. She expected him to be weirded out or even wanting to use her for his pleasure, but instead, he reacted with concern over her radical tendencies. He didn't want her to get hurt for his sake. He wanted to keep her safe. Petra broke down into tears back then, and that's how their relationship started.

In the eyes of others, nothing changed. She was great at masking her love for him, but all these lies didn't exist when it was only the two of them.

Levi ran the fingers of his left hand through her hair, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"I'm glad you survived," he said seriously, looking deep into her eyes.

The confession melted her heart. She smiled shyly.

"I promised I would. I would never lie to you."

The man did not respond, knowing how crude the losses during the expeditions were, no matter how good a soldier could be.

His hand moved down to her cheek where he caressed her blushing skin with his thumb. Petra looked away timidly and almost jumped when he leaned over to her lips.

"Ah! Captain, wait! I…"

Levi stopped and looked at her, raising one brow. She covered her face with one hand, blush spreading to her ears.

"I'm not worthy," she said with concern.

The man let out a breath and kissed her jaw instead. It was a soft kiss, nothing imposing. Petra put her hands on his shoulders, but didn't push him away. He knew she enjoyed it, and he was not about to let her treat him as if he was better than her. He couldn't say it out loud, but in fact, he was the one to be lucky that such a wonderful woman somehow fell for him.

"Captain…" she let out, feeling the burning pleasure from the touch of his lips when he kissed her down her neck.

"I told you to call me Levi when we're alone," he reminded her between kisses.

"I am not worth-"

"Call me Levi," he ordered, making her shudder.

"Captain…Levi…" she said in a small voice, barely opening her mouth.

"Levi."

Petra closed her eyes tightly.

"...Levi."

"Good," he praised and moved back to close her lips with his.

"Oh my Walls, I came as soon as I heard!" Petra yelled out to him, appearing in the open door to his bedroom. He instantly regretted that the information on him getting hurt spread so fast.

"It's just a cut. It will heal in a couple of days," he assured her while cleaning the cut on his arm. The woman almost ran to his side to inspect his injury. She was distressed, holding back tears at the sight.

"This… how …how could this happen?" She asked, so close to taking the tissue from his hand to take care of it herself. She was trembling, he noticed in the corner of his eye.

"I stopped a fight between two drunk soldiers. I knew this could happen," he said.

"Then why did you do it?"

"There was another soldier passed out on the table between them."

"Captain, listen!" She stepped in front of him and grabbed his wrist to get him to look her in the face. "No one, I mean NO ONE, is more important than you."

Levi was silent, but his face stayed neutral. They stared at each other until Petra blushed and let go of him. He spoke up before she could apologize.

"I wouldn't risk my life for that. Have some trust in me," he reprimanded her.

Petra signed and moved closer. She put her forehead on his shoulder.

"I trust you more than anyone. I do. I love you. But I'm worried… I can't live in a world without you," she confessed, overtaken by her emotions.

Levi sighed and leaned his head on hers, then resumed bandaging his forearm, reaching over her slim figure. She didn't move until he finished. They embraced each other and he leaned to her ear.

"For our future together, I won't break my promise."

It was another survey fundraising event in Mitras where the highest soldiers from the regiment were sent to mingle with the nobles and get the funds for another expedition.

Petra walked the halls, coming back from the bathroom, and wondered if she'd be able to catch Levi for some time together, despite him being mostly surrounded with higher ups that couldn't care less about her.

She entered the main ballroom and looked around. Her world brightened when she noticed the man of her dreams, but just as fast, it all crumbled seeing the women gathered around him. She stopped in her tracks, feeling her heart getting heavy.

The view was blurry, she couldn't focus on Levi's expression. All she could see was the way the women simper in front of the captain, the low cleavages of their beautiful dresses, and the smiles on their faces covered in makeup. The blood boiled in her veins.

The world became gray while she realized the difference between her and them. She had no money, her only proper attire was the military uniform, and makeup was something she barely remembered existed, as almost no one in her surroundings used it. She thought of her ginger hair and freckles that the other girls made fun of her for in her childhood years, and the light disappeared from her eyes.

Petra watched the women, following the moves of their limbs, as if waiting for any of them to try and make a move on her captain. She may be an ugly soldier, but that meant she was stronger than any of them. The mental image of them laying hands on Levi made her feral. She didn't know how long she stayed in the shadows, watching them. Her palms hurt from the way she pushed her nails into them.

She was distracted by Gunther coming up to check on her. As if with a switch of a button, she assured him with a perfectly cheerful voice that she was fine, just drowned in her thoughts. She took part in the small talk, taking a glance at the captain from time to time. She couldn't believe he was still standing there with these women. It was not like him, he didn't like this kind of thing. What if he actually enjoyed the attention this time? What if the way their bodies swayed when they laughed caught his eye? Petra felt sick at the thought. What could she do to stop that? None of these spoiled ladies knew how fantastic he was on the battlefield, how he cared about his comrades despite his mean behavior. She felt helpless.

"I'm sorry, I have to go somewhere quieter," she excused herself and turned on her heel. She couldn't stand watching them anymore. She had a duty for the regiment to not scare the nobles away. She should be happy for her love having a good time, but all she felt was a draining pain in her chest.

Petra stopped at the window in the hallway, leaned her side on the wall thinking about her captain. As she dissociated into her mind, she imagined walking up to the group and shooing the other women away. In that daydream, she was beautiful. Her body was less muscular, not scarred. Her hair was long and golden like in the lucky summer days when the sunset light hit it. Levi would look at her and forget all about the others. She would be perfect, but still not as perfect as him. No one could be.

"Here you are," the voice of the exact man from her mind pulled her out of the sweet vision. She turned her face to the wall, hiding from his sight.

"I needed a break from the noise," she excused herself. Levi stepped closer to see her face.

"You're crying?" he asked, raising a brow. "Did some of these fucks treated you badly?"

"No! No, that's not it," she assured him, wiping her eyes with the side of her finger.

"What happened?" he pushed. The woman stayed silent, still with her back to him. "Petra. What happened?"

"I…" she took a slow and deep breath. "I couldn't watch you enjoying the company of these women. I'm sorry," she admitted with a deep guilt in her voice.

"Enjoying?" Levi asked, irritated. "Like shit I enjoyed it. If Mike and Erwin hadn't come and get their attention, I'd start fucking swearing at the bullshit that spilled from their mouths," he spat out.

Petra budged and took a glance at him over her shoulder.

"But they looked so beautiful in their long dresses…"

Levi looked at her like she was speaking nonsense, and only then realized she was jealous . He sneaked behind her and embraced her waist, making the woman yelp in surprise.

"Someone can see us!" she protested quietly, but he only pulled her closer, provoking a deep blush on her face.

"You think I lied to you when I promised you a life together?" he whispered in her ear, making her freeze.

"No, but… you have every right to change your mind," she said nervously, even though she leaned into his embrace, enjoying every second of it. She shivered when his lips touched her neck.

"When we get rid of the titans…" he started, even though they had no way of knowing if that was even possible. "You'll become my wife."

Petra covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes were shut tight. Hearing his words was ecstatic. Levi continued kissing her, swaying their bodies from side to side in the rhythm of the music coming from the other room.

"We will leave together, far from the city. Just the two of us," he continued speaking, letting himself imagine things so out of their reach. "And I will breed you until you give me our strong, healthy child," he finished, knowing exactly what she wanted to hear. The woman in his arms was already breathing heavily. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes burning with desire.

"I love you," he whispered, leaving the last kiss on her cheek.

Petra turned around and threw her hands over his neck before their lips finally crashed together.