He's surprised to see her dolled up like this. Of course seeing her in a dress at all is surprising, Petra was always the practical type. Still not only does the jade of her dress make her hazel eyes glow like nothing else, but her strawberry blonde hair falls down in loose waves instead of being tied up in a utilitarian braid like it usually is. Levi's always thought of her as beautiful, yet today she has topped any of his wildest dreams.
"Come on do I look so horrid without my armor?" Petra teased as she turned to face him.
"Wouldn't say that..." He would say a lot of other things, but none of them are appropriate when it comes his personal knight.
"Well I gotta say His Highness is looking mighty fine," She gave a teasing grin as she wiped off some dust off his shoulders. Such an action was normal from his best friend since childhood, but he has become stupid and stopped seeing her as just his best friend. He had a country to run in a few years, and a marriage alliance to secure in the next few hours, yet he still found himself thinking of kissing her like an idiot.
"Any country you got your eye on?" She leaned back as she played with the folds of her dress. "Agyla's princess looks very pretty."
"Eh I, I'm looking for a good match for my kingdom, not a love match."
"So it's ok if I take her off your hands?" She smiled flirtatiously and he felt his heart do a back-flip. He himself wasn't on board with getting engaged so quickly, but she was making this even more difficult.
Where did the days where we were running around with wooden swords and hunting frogs go?
"Still you have two left feet outside of swordwork," Levi snarked back.
"I'm sure my charming personality and sparkling wit would win her over from any other suitor." She laughed, but it fell flat in the end. "I just can't believe when we grew up."
"I second that," Levi sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "You're not the little girl running around and declaring you'll protect me from anything." He couldn't help but let smirk at the memory of when they first met, when she was five and he was six. So young but they were both already caught up in their duties. Now their duties tie them back.
He couldn't be sure she returns his feelings. Every time he dared to hope such a thing, she tended to say another thing that contradicted the idea. Still he though she sensed the potential they had for each other. Maybe it comes with being young and stupid, but he wished sometimes he could be a normal servant or something. Not only would he not have to deal with all the pressing issues he knows they expect him to solve just like that, but he'd feel less guilty for doing something so risky like falling in love.
"Hey, who are you saving your first dance for?" Petra brought him back down to earth. Hazel eyes tried to remain detached, but she couldn't hide her curiosity.
"I haven't given it much thought."
"What?! You're being introduced into high society. It will be your first dance as a gentleman and prince, could you at least act like you care?"
"Well then how about we dance now?" He is just as shocked at his words, and if it wasn't for her hasty reply, he would have written the entire thing off as a joke.
"Don't I have two-left feet?"
"I thought your charm and sparkling wit made up for it," At this point his mouth was moving on its own.
"Even so, I'm just some girl with a sword who can't learn to shut her mouth," It is surreal seeing her so insecure. She was always confidant and blinding, a ray of sunlight burning as bright as can be. She was caring and tenderhearted, but hot-tempered and disobedient at times, both fragile and ferocious.
"This is gonna all end soon," He sighed as he looked around his quarters. Once they walked out of that door, he was a man, and to be alone with a maiden like Petra was scandalous. She would stay his knight, but their relationship would change. Even if his feelings had never shifted from the platonic, he still would be disappointed by the fact. "Why not make it last as long as possible?"
"Fine," Petra gave a long curtsy. "If his Highness insists," However her eyes shone too brightly for someone forced. Without waiting, Levi took her hand in his, but to his surprise as he did she brought her lips to their intertwined hands. That did it. At the mere feeling on her lips against his hand, Levi's ears turned bright red.
"Looks who the maiden now?" Petra teased, returning Levi to his stoic expression.
Still once they took off, he forgot everything else in the world except her.
A.N. I got a thing for Petra and traditionally masculine roles (hello LoZ Link!Petra) This has been a near and dear AU to me, but it was too much for a oneshot so I had to cut some things out (I don't have time for another AU like demon trainer AU)
