The rest of the day went as per usual. Petra fixed things up around the place, with Eren helping alongside her. At one point they sat outside and enjoyed the nice weather and had some coffee, just chatting casually. As the sun started to set, Auruo, Gunther, and Erd rode in on their horses, returning from their respected assignments of the day. Alongside them were Squad Leader Hanji and Commander Erwin himself. Petra greeted them at the door, as they were probably there to check up on Levi.
"How is he doing?" Erwin asked.
"He's recovering quite well." Petra gave a gentle smile. "He ate, and he's been getting a lot of rest all day."
"No fever?"
"Mm, nope. Not since this morning."
"Well that is very good to know. Thank you again, Petra."
"Anything I can do to help."
Erwin nodded. "Well, Hanji and I would like to see him. But first we need to speak with Eren about something. It will be brief, but could you let Levi know we will be coming up?"
"Yes sir, no problem." Petra saluted before Erwin dismissed her.
Petra headed up the stairs and back to Levi's bedroom. She knocked a few times, waited a moment, and then knocked again.
"Heichou?" she called, before slightly opening the door. She peeked inside, only to see a neatly made bed with no Levi in it. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
"Heichou?" she raised an eyebrow and looked around.
"Out here, Petra." He heard Levi's voice; and it sounded somewhat far away, but she couldn't quite figure out where it was coming from.
"…Where?" she asked.
"Window."
"Mm…?" Petra walked over the large window that was still open. She looked out the window and looked around, still not seeing him anywhere in site.
"This better not be a joke, Heichou." She crossed her arms, getting a bit irritated.
"Tch, look down would you?"
Petra looked down to see Levi's hand popping out from some unknown space underneath.
"What the…?" Petra raised an eyebrow. "Where are you?"
"Climb down."
"Huh? But..!" Petra tried to object, before Levi cut her off.
"It's not far. Just don't fall."
"Mmm….." Petra groaned. She hesitated, and then climbed over the windowsill. "Now what?"
"Hold onto the ledge and just hang down."
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Don't worry. I got you."
"You 'got' me? Heichou, I swear if this is a joke…"
"Petra I don't joke. Just do it." He growled.
"Maybe if you act nicer towards me I will." She sat there, kneeling on the ledge as a moment of silence fell over the two. She then heard a small groan from Levi below.
"What was that?" she sang.
"…Please…" Levi muttered.
"See? Was that so hard?" Petra asked sweetly.
"Yes."
"Pfft. Alright, I'm coming down." Petra took a deep breath and dropped down, with her hands gripping the window sill. She immediately felt two arms wrap around her torso tightly, causing her to gasp softly.
"Alright, you can let go." Levi said.
Petra let go of the windowsill, letting herself fall, but it was only for a brief moment. Before she knew it she was face to face with Levi, with his arms still around her body. He was wearing his white uniform pants and standard white shirt, which was slightly unbuttoned at the top. His cravat was hanging around his neck, untied. They looked at each other for a brief moment, before Levi removed himself from her.
"Now, was that so hard?" he repeated Petra's words, only causing her to give him a sarcastic smile.
She looked around at the small and compacted area they were in.
"What is this place?" Petra asked.
Levi sat down and swung his legs over the edge, looking down at the courtyard.
"I believe it's an alcove of some sort. My guess it was a secret place back in the day…they probably covered this opening with royal tapestry or something."
Petra took a seat next to him, crossing her legs. "What do you think they hid here?" she asked.
"Tch, hell if I know. Weapons, treasure…anything."
"Huh…that's really interesting. When did you discover this?"
"Not too long ago…I like to come here when I need some peace and quiet."
Petra looked over at him. He was just sitting there, looking up at the sky.
"The stars are bright tonight…"
Petra looked up at the sky. Though there were clouds in the distance, the part of the sky that was uncovered was beautiful.
"Yes…they are beautiful."
"Mm…"
"Do you like star gazing, Heichou?"
"Sometimes…I suppose. Not as much as I used to." He lay back, crossing his arms behind his head. "The clouds always roll in…you know?"
Petra blinked and looked back at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying. "Oh…I did hear it was supposed to rain later?" Petra looked back at the sky, and sure enough, the clouds were rolling on in.
"It always ends up raining…I hate the rain…" Levi said softly, his voice drifting.
"You…hate the rain? But why?" Petra looked back at Levi, who wasn't responding. "Heichou?"
His eyes were closed and she saw his chest lightly moving up and down. She crawled over to him and looked down at the man, who was, in fact sleeping.
"Wh-what? Heichou! Are you really sleeping? Heichou!"
Levi continued to nap away, causing Petra to sigh heavily and lean against the wall. It had been an extremely long day, and though she really didn't mind caring for others, it just took a lot out of her. She looked around the alcove. It was a very small space indeed, and could probably only fit the two of them at the most. She looked down at Levi again, for she had no idea that he came here to be by himself…and what was he talking about clouds and rain like that for? He sounded almost depressed about it, but…
She put out her hand and lightly touched Levi's cheek with her fingertips.
He was really not himself today. For some reason, some of the things he did or said was just not like him. She hoped he was feeling alright.
"Heichou?" she asked softly. "You can't sleep now…Commander Erwin and Squad Leader Hanji will be up here any minute to check on you so…"
Levi continued to sleep, not hearing the concerned ginger haired girl beside him. Petra slid her hand over his forehead and gently through his hair. He looked really peaceful as he slept this time around, unlike earlier when he was suffering from his illness, and then his nightmares. This was probably the first good sleep he's gotten in nearly two days.
A flash of lighting appeared in the distance, followed by a large boom of thunder, startling Petra a little.
"Looks like a storm is coming…" she said to herself. The rain was moving in faster than she thought.
"Heichou…you should probably get up now…before the rain comes." She whispered, but didn't have the heart to try and wake him physically. She wanted him to have a nice sleep, at least this one time. She continued to run her hand through his hair, once again feeling a variety of emotions.
Why was she always doing this? Why was she always pushing boundaries with him and then getting so flustered when he would so much as touch her hand? She was ashamed and embarrassed because she really did…
She sighed, with distress starting to set in.
She really did love him.
And for that, she was ashamed.
She leaned down over his face, only inches away from her own, and kissed his forehead.
"Heichou…" she whispered. "I'm sorry…for feeling this way…" She leaned down further and brushed his lips over Levi's, kissing him softly. He was so warm…
Petra lifted her head and looked at Levi, who was, to her horror, awake and staring directly at her. She froze, completely unsure of what to do at this point. He said nothing, only continued to stare at her with a look on his face that she did not recognize. Confusion? Shock? She didn't even know. She didn't want to know. All she wanted to do was move, do something. He had caught her, so now what was she going to do? How could she let herself get so caught up in all of this? She turned away from him and did the only thing she could think of.
She had to get away.
She went to crawl near the entrance of the alcove, but her plans of escape were cut short when Levi shot a hand out and gripped Petra's forearm tightly, yanking her back to him.
"Nyah!" she yelped, sounding almost desperate.
She didn't want to be near him, all she wanted to do was get away. But he wouldn't let her get away. He had shot up and was on his knees now, pulling Petra back to him. He pulled her into him, and now they were so close that their bodies were pressing against each other. Before Petra could even get a word out of her mouth, Levi yanked her forward and crashed his mouth against hers. He began to kiss her, right there in the secret alcove under his window, just as the storm was moving in.
"Mmmf! Heich-mmmf!" Petra tried to speak, tried to get her Captain's attention, and even tried to push him away, but he would have none of it. All that caused him to do was place his arm behind her lower back and pull her in even closer. He continued to gnaw away at her lips, kissing her long and hard.
Petra clenched his shirt with tight fists as he continued to kiss her; half of her wanting him to get the hell off of her, and the other half wanting more of him. She was starting to lean more towards the latter, with her fists eventually starting to loosen and let go of his shirt. She was giving in, now returning his deep kisses. With his one hand pressed firmly on her waist, he moved the other to the back of her head, moving his fingers through her lovely ginger hair. He also took the opportunity to get her even closer to him, because that's all he wanted; for Petra to be as close to him as humanly possible.
"Nnn!"
Levi had slipped his tongue into her mouth. A bit forcefully at that, and it somewhat caught her off guard a bit but…
"Nnn…"
He felt good…really good.
She tasted his tongue, his saliva, his lips…everything. His tongue then moved slowly around her lips before he decided to lock her into another deep kiss once more. He felt so good…his lips were warm and his kisses were surprisingly tender. He was so easily addicting, that she didn't even try to get away from him anymore. He broke away for a moment and kissed her cheek, then her jaw, and then began to trail gentle kisses all down her neck.
"Mmm…! Hei…chou…"
"Shh…" Levi nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, much like he did on that one drunken night. He continued to kiss her neck, his hands gripping her hips tightly as his kisses turned more aggressive. "Give into me…"
"Ah..!" a small moan escaped Petra's lips, making her more embarrassed then she already was, and making Levi want her lips all over against. He lifted his head and pulled her in, once again attaching his warm lips to hers.
She was getting sucked in…no…she was already sucked in. This was too much, too fast…but she couldn't get away. She was hooked and now she wasn't even sure if she cared or not anymore.
"Mmf!" he had her on her back, now hovering above her. He slowly began to untuck her shirt and slipped his hands underneath. He began to gently rub his fingertips into her hips, making slow circular movements. This only made her even crazier, as he was teasing her once again. She let out small little gasps as he continued to touch her skin.
"Ah…you like being touched here…" Levi whispered as he kissed her face once again.
"That's not fair, Heichou…." She shivered as he continued to rub his fingers into her hips, making her moan again.
"What? That I found your weak spot?" he answered almost teasingly.
"S-stop…please…"
"I know you don't want me to stop…" he breathed.
"Heichou…"
"Levi." He corrected.
"Levi…" Petra wrapped her arms around him and spoke his name softly before he kissed her once more. She slid her own hands under the back of his shirt, feeling his warm skin come in contact with hers. She moved her hands gently down his back, feeling small goose bumps beginning to form over his skin.
"Petra…"
Her hands fell over his lower back, and she felt him slightly jolt once again.
"Stop…" he sounded stern, but his face said otherwise.
"That's not fair…you telling me to stop. I think I know where your weak spot is too…" she gently rubbed her fingertips into Levi's lower back, causing him to hiss out loud.
"Petra…! Fuck…" he didn't even try to hold back anymore and pinned her to the floor, once again pressing his mouth against hers, aggressively kissing her all over.
Petra moved her hands up Levi's back as he continued to kiss her. His hands then went to her shirt, as he clumsily fumbled with the harness strap across her chest. Then he quickly went to the buttons and began to forcefully rip her shirt open. But before he could go any further, a large flash of lighting and clap of thunder brought them out of their trance. Both of them looked up, a bit startled at the loud noise, and looked towards the alcove entrance. Rain began to fall, getting heavier by the second. Levi looked back down at Petra, who only stared up at him, not looking quite as blissful as she did a second ago, but now looking horrified.
"I'm…sorry…" she whispered.
"Petra…"
"Please…I have to go, Heichou…" she lifted herself from the ground as Levi removed himself from her.
He only watched her as she quickly crawled to the edge of the alcove and jumped up, catching the edge of the windowsill. It was already raining hard, and the stone was a little slippery, but she managed to lift herself up to the window, climbing back into Levi's room. She quickly headed towards the door, soaking wet, disheveled, and almost in a state of pure panic.
"Petra, wait…"
Petra stopped as she reached his door. She turned around to see him standing there in front of the window, soaking wet, just staring at her with those mysterious eyes of his.
"You don't have to go."
Petra looked at him briefly, trying to hold back a wide range of emotions.
"You should really dry off…you'll get sick all over again…" she turned away and headed out the door, quickly trying to button her shirt up, and nearly smacking into Hanji and Erwin.
"I'm so sorry! Please excuse me, Squad Leader, Commander!" she quickly saluted and hurried past the two. Erwin and Hanji only looked at one another with confusion on their faces before Hanji called after the girl.
"Petra? Hey, Petra!" Hanji called, but made no avail to get the girl to come back. She then looked into the bedroom only to see Levi standing there soaking wet, leaving a baffled look on both her and Erwin's faces.
"What…in the world was that all about?" Hanji asked as she stepped inside. "And Levi why are you all wet?"
"I was sitting by the window." He answered.
"Okay…?" Hanji raised an eyebrow.
"It started to rain. She was upset that I didn't come inside and got all wet…I suppose she's worried I'll get sick again." he lied.
Hanji only crossed her arms and gave Levi a sour look. "Well she should be worried! You idiot, do you want to get sick again when you just got well?"
"Why don't you get off me?" Levi growled, returning the glare. "Fuck."
"Well what got you in such a mood?" she turned to the commander. "Can you please talk some sense into him, Erwin?" Hanji threw her hands up.
"I'm in a mood? Tch! You just come barging into my room with your shitty glasses and you're going to give me a mother fucking lecture?"
"Both of you just need to just step back." Erwin said a bit sternly, getting both Levi and Hanji's attention. "I know we are all stressed out as of late but you two really need to try and stay calm." He sighed, before shifting his attention over to Levi. "Levi, there are some things that need to be discussed. I called for an officers meeting and Mike should be arriving soon. You may want to dry off…"
Petra continued to hurry down the hall, hearing less and less of the conversation that was echoing off the walls coming from Levi's room. She finally made it to her room, where she quickly shut the door and locked it behind her. She slid down the wall, falling to the floor, where she pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms.
He wasn't supposed to know…
He wasn't supposed to kiss her back…
"Now what am I going to do?" she whispered to herself. "Come on Petra…pull yourself together. You are a soldier…you are strong. I shouldn't be letting this get to me." She sighed and sat back, resting her head against the door. "Okay…it happened…and I still have to face him."
There were three things she needed right now; a shower, some alone time, and some tea. Shower comes first. She stood up, now finally in control of her emotions…for now. She grabbed a towel and quietly exited her room, heading down the hallway to the shower. She let the water run for a minute as she peeled out of her wet uniform. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water run down her back. She was grateful that they actually had hot water today, as that was a rarity. She just stood there and let herself soak in the hot shower, continuing to let herself calm down and relax. She was usually known as the calm, reasonable, and kinder one out of the squad, however, she had her limits to all of that. She often would let emotions get the better of her if triggered enough; whether it be anger, fear, worry, etc. She wished she could keep her cool all of the time, but every time she thought she was in control, it all seemed to come crashing down on her.
She put a hand to the shower wall and the other to her heart. Her heart still wouldn't calm down.
All she could think about was kissing Levi, and how wonderful it felt. She still loved him, even she felt wrong about it. No matter what she did, for some reason, she could never stop loving that man. And that's why she didn't want to burden him. She shouldn't have done what she did, but it happened. So the only thing to do now was confront him about it and get it over with.
Easier said than done, of course.
Meanwhile Erwin and Hanji sat in the dining area, now joined with Mike who showed up only a few minutes ago. Hanji had gotten up and was attempting to make coffee, but made no avail with the coffee pot.
"Well this is frustrating. Where is Petra when you need her?" she pouted.
"Oh come on, you can't make your own coffee, Squad Leader?" Mike grinned and shook his head.
"It's not that!" Hanji retorted, a bit embarrassed. "She just so happens to make the best coffee…"
"Captain Levi! Sir!"
Erwin, Hanji, and Mike turned to the door, where Moblit was standing outside, saluting Levi.
"As you were…" Levi nodded towards Moblit and entered the room.
He was wearing more casual attire, as it was getting late and there was no point in trying to get into uniform now anyway. On top of that, Erwin insisted that it wasn't a big deal, and then Hanji practically yelled at him to take a warm shower so he wouldn't catch a cold, which he refused. That is, until Erwin told him to. So now, he was freshly showered and somewhat more annoyed than usual, but it was better than feeling the way he felt earlier, or even more so, how he felt yesterday. He glanced over at Hanji, who was still fumbling around with the coffee pot.
"What in the hell are you doing, you stupid idiot?" he sighed.
"Making coffee, what does it look like?"
"I don't know what it looks like, but it's not coffee…"
"You are just so full of sass today, aren't you? Moblit, you fetch Petra…I'm pretty sure she is the only one who knows how to work this thing."
"Tch…leave her be. She's been working all day…I'm sure she's tired…" Levi blinked, briefly thinking back to the heated moment he had with her not too long ago.
Hanji crossed her arms and grinned. "Well aren't you being awfully considerate."
Levi quickly brushed away the thought of Petra and gave Hanji an annoyed look. "You're an idiot. Who doesn't know how to make fucking coffee?" He pushed past her and started messing around with the coffee pot.
A few minutes later, Erwin, Hanji, and Levi sat at the table, all pushing their coffee cups away from them, looking a bit disgusted.
"That was quite…uh…" Erwin started.
"Your coffee tastes like shit." Hanji said bluntly.
"Fuck off." Levi growled, but silently agreed. Hanji was right; Petra was the only one around here who could make a decent cup of coffee…well, more than a decent cup.
"Hey, I think it's pretty good." Mike took another sip.
"That's because for some reason, tons of coffee grounds appeal to you." Hanji rested her cheek in her palm.
"Alright, down to business." Erwin cleared his throat. "First, Levi, how are you feeling? Do you think you've fully recovered?"
"I feel fine. I should be able to come back to work tomorrow."
Erwin nodded and continued. "Listen, the military police have really been pressing down hard on us lately. They are being very persistent on shutting down this entire regiment."
"Tch. Fucking assholes don't know when to quit." Levi crossed his leg over his knee and leaned back in his chair.
"Exactly." Erwin sighed, agreeing with Levi. "Which is why this upcoming expedition in the next month is crucial. We had talked with Eren beforehand…"
"We need to try and speed up this process." Hanji spoke up. "Levi, how has his progress for controlling his titan abilities been coming along?"
"To be perfectly honest, like shit. He can't even figure out how to transform on his own. If he doesn't get on that soon, we're pretty much fucked in the ass."
Mike set down his coffee cup. "Isn't there a trigger? Anything that could help his progress?"
"Aside from inflicting self-harm to activate his titan form…no…as far as we know anyway." Hanji sighed, looking distraught. "What are we going to do?"
"That brat lacks skill. I swear he's also as dense as a fucking rock but…" Levi looked towards the doorway. "He has a lot of motivation. I have no doubt that when properly motivated he will be able to do what he has to do. However…" he looked back at his fellow commanding officers. "Training may have to get more intense. And I suggest longer hours as well. Like you said, Erwin, crucial times call for crucial measures."
"Mm." Erwin nodded. "I agree. Do what you have to do, Levi. I trust your judgment."
Hanji and Mike only glanced at each other, before Erwin continued to discuss other matters.
Meanwhile, the other members of squad Levi were huddled in the small kitchen, eating the last of the leftover soup, with the exception of Petra.
"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Eren asked.
"Probably you." Auruo said, mouth full of soup. "And how you are royally fucking up so far."
"Hey! What the hell?" Eren growled, about to stand up, before Erd planted his hand firmly on Eren's shoulder.
"Just let it go, Eren. He's just a little tense. We all are…"
"Mm…" Eren's expression calmed and he sat back down in his seat.
"You have to try and understand…" Gunther spoke up. "You are really our only option here, Eren. So the tension is going to be a little high. It's nothing personal, it's just well…"
"You need to try a bit harder." Erd continued.
"Mm…I am! You guys have to believe me! I'm trying with everything in me!" Eren raised his voice, now getting a little upset.
"Bah! Calm your ass down! Don't you even try to get all violent, or Captain Levi will kill you." Auruo growled, setting his spoon down.
"When will you stop treating me like a monster, Auruo?" Eren stood up, now angry.
"Until you prove me wrong, Eren Jaeger! If that's really who you are!" Auruo stood up as well.
"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Eren walked up to Auruo and got in his face.
Erd and Gunther only looked at each other and stood up as well, about to break up a fight if necessary.
"You…you had better get out of my face! I won't hesitate to kill you where you stand, you brat!" Auruo growled, grabbing Eren's shirt.
"Ah, what in the world is all of this commotion?" Petra's voice came from the doorway.
The men all turned to the kitchen door to see Petra standing there in her pajamas, short black shorts and a white t-shirt, a little big on her, which almost fell over her shorts. All the guys tried not to gawk at Petra who looked surprisingly cute in her PJs, before she walked over to Auruo and Eren. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was looking highly annoyed.
"Auruo, quit trying to talk like Levi Heichou and let Eren go. We are all tense right now…but you have to try and stay calm." She looked up at him, her face shifting from annoyance to concern.
"Mm…!" Auruo blinked and looked at her for a moment. He hated it when she looked all upset. He sighed heavily and let go of Eren, somewhat shoving him away. Auruo turned, his cheeks a bit flushed, but still trying to look tough. "Fine. Not worth my time anyway." He grumbled, sitting back down.
Petra only shook her head and sighed, before looking at Eren. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine…jeez…" Eren muttered, a little embarrassed, before sitting back down as well.
"So…what's going on in the dining area?" Petra looked at Erd and Gunther.
"Higher ups are having a meeting." Erd responded. "We're guessing about the upcoming expedition, Eren…etc."
"I see…" Petra took a seat next to Eren.
"So where have you been all day?" Auruo asked.
"I was here, taking care of…Heichou…" Petra trailed off, suddenly thinking of their heated make out session they shared not too long ago.
"Are you alright, Petra?" Gunther asked. "You looked a little flushed."
"Huh? I do?" Petra started to panic a bit. She was thinking about Levi and his tender kisses and now here she was, blushing in front of the other soldiers.
"You aren't getting sick, are you?" Auruo raised an eyebrow. "Are you catching what the Captain had?"
"Don't be stupid, I feel fine!" Petra glared at him. "Besides I took the vaccine too…I'm just a little tired. It's been a long day. Taking care of the Captain was not as easy as you might think." She cracked a small smile, as the rest of the guys only looked at her, not exactly knowing what she was talking about specifically, but somewhat feeling sympathy towards her. They knew the Captain could be a difficult man, especially when he was in a mood.
"Well, he looks well, so you must have done a great job." Erd smiled kindly.
Petra smiled back, still a little flushed. "I sure hope so…"
As the rest of the squad began to converse about other matters, Petra tried to act normal. She also tried not to think about Levi…about what had happened. But it was no use…she couldn't not think about it.
About him…
"Alright everyone, have a safe trip home!" Hanji smiled and waved to Erwin and Levi, who stood at the front entrance. She threw her hood over her head and hopped onto her horse as Moblit and Mike waited beside her on their own horses. "Levi, make sure you rest up! I'll be back tomorrow to check up on Eren's progress!" she yelled over the rain.
"Tch." Levi only rolled his eyes before Hanji headed off down the path, followed by Mike and Moblit. The rain was still coming down, and even heavier than before. Levi only looked after the three, until they were out of sight, lost in the downpour.
He blinked.
There it was again…memories he wanted to forget.
"Levi?"
"Mm?" Levi looked up at Erwin, who was looking a bit concerned.
"You seem off today. Are you sure you are feeling well?"
"It's probably this weather…you know…" Levi trailed off.
"Yes…well…" Erwin pulled his hood over his head. "Try to get a good night's rest. If you aren't feeling all the way well by tomorrow, it's alright if you take another day for recovery."
"Erwin, I'm fine. I'm not missing another day of work."
"I'm just saying. Well I'd better head out, before this weather gets any worse. Have a good rest of your night, Levi."
Levi only nodded as Erwin mounted his horse and began to head back towards town. He turned and went back inside; making sure the door was locked up. He walked towards the kitchen, where he saw his squad members exiting. They all saluted him, and asked him how he felt, before Levi dismissed them for the night. In all honesty, he felt fine, well, even. He was just extremely tired, but wanted to settle down with something to drink before turning in. He stepped into the dimly lit kitchen only to find Petra inside, with her back turned to him and doing something at the kitchen counter. She must have not noticed that he had entered, as she continued with her business for a good minute until she realized she wasn't alone in the room. Levi lightly cleared his throat to get her attention, causing her to jump, a bit startled. She quickly whipped her head around to see him standing there, Levi of all people. Though she felt her heart start to flutter, she decided it was only best to act normal. She didn't want to make things more awkward then they already were.
"Heichou…hi." She said softly and smiled at him.
Levi only blinked, all the while trying not to go all dry mouth from something as stupid as a smile…no matter how 'cute'.
"Hey…" was all he said before silence consumed them for another moment.
Petra was in her pajamas, looking almost like a different person when not in uniform, even if it was just sleepwear. Levi had not seen her in her pajamas since that drunken night a few weeks ago, and even then all she wore was a long t-shirt that had barely covered her thighs. At least now she was wearing shorts, though that didn't help his wandering eye much. He was still able to get a very good look at those fine little legs of hers, but couldn't look for too long, as she would have definitely took notice of that. In an attempt to not fall into another awkward moment, Levi finally spoke up.
"What are you doing out here so late? I thought you had turned in for the night."
"I just…got a little hungry was all." Petra lightly pushed a few pieces of hair behind her ear, not looking directly at him. He already knew that she felt nervous, simply by that action.
"I also wanted to see how the rest of the squad was doing…seeing as I haven't really spoken to them much during the past couple of days, with the exception of Eren. Uhm…so, is this coffee fresh?" Petra changed the subject and put her eyes on the coffee pot that had been brought back into the kitchen from the officers meeting. Levi's eyes shifted from her to the pot…the pot of shit coffee he had made prior.
"Yes…but it tastes pretty shitty."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean its shit coffee." Levi said bluntly.
"Did…you make this, Heichou?"
"…Yeah, and it's pretty bad so…I wouldn't drink it if I were you." He muttered and somewhat looked away.
Petra quickly noticed his change in speech and facial expression. Was he embarrassed? Without him noticing, she quickly put a hand to her mouth and tried not to giggle.
"Captain, I'm sure it's not that bad."
Levi looked back at her and glared. "Then why are you trying not to laugh?"
"Not at you! At the situation!" she laughed.
"What? Tch, Petra, you're strange…" he muttered.
"Well, I'm about to have some of the Captain's coffee." She grabbed a coffee mug and poured herself a cup, much to Levi's horror.
"I'm telling you it tastes like shit. Literal shit. I mean, drink it if you like shit flavored things…tch, come on Petra…" he grumbled, but that didn't stop Petra from mixing in her cream and sugar. She could already tell the thick texture of the coffee looked off…almost like mud…but…
She blinked and took a sip of the coffee, only causing Levi to sigh heavily.
Petra thought she was going to gag. The coffee was full of grounds and had the most awful bitter taste to it, despite the cream and sugar she had added. She tried extremely hard to keep it down, as she was not going to spit it out in front of the Captain, because one, she didn't want to gross him out, and two, didn't want to hurt the man's feelings…if that second one was at all possible. Well, it must have been possible if he seemed embarrassed over his bad, no, awful coffee. Regardless, she swallowed down the slimy liquid and set her cup down, smiling sweetly at him.
"What are you talking about? It tastes great!"
Levi looked and her and blinked. She drank it. She looked like she was about to gag a second ago, but she actually swallowed it all? Why?
Levi took a seat at the kitchen table and sighed. "You're fucking weird…"
This only made Petra laugh as Levi rubbed his forehead with his fingers.
"So…how are you feeling?" Petra asked. Very shortly after she asked that question, she hoped beyond hoped that Levi wouldn't bring up their little 'tete-a-tete'.
"Better…just tired." He simply responded.
"Why don't you turn in for the night?" Petra cocked her head at him.
"I never fall asleep right away so it wouldn't matter."
"Oh…"
Another moment of silence fell over them.
"Would you…like some tea?"
Levi looked up at her with tired eyes as she leaned against the kitchen counter. Her eyes were very soft tonight…and her smile was warm and inviting.
"There's still some black tea left." She sang.
Any excuse to sit out in the kitchen with her, and tea sounded nice anyway. Who knows when he'd be able to have his favorite kind again anyway so…
"Alright." He responded.
Petra smiled at him before turning around back towards the counter, where her smile began to falter. Her heart was beating like mad, uncontrollably, and way too fast for her own taste. Being around him was totally inevitable, and she loved and hated it at the same time. Levi had still not brought up the incident from earlier, which both relieved and terrified her all the same.
Terrified?
The Scouting Regiment was going through a much harsher situation, as well as the rest of humanity. She had fought countless titans and has received many scars in doing so. She's even looked death in the face a few times, all for the glory of the Scouts and humanity…yet something as simple as her feelings for a man terrified her? She grabbed the tea kettle and began filling it with water, while putting a hand to her forehead in complete distress.
She silently brooded over her feelings as she prepared the tea over the next five minutes, with her and Levi not sharing a single word. She finished preparing his tea and walked over to his side, setting the small cup in front of him.
"Drink up." She smiled at him once more.
"Thank you." He looked at her briefly before picking up his cup by the rim as he always did. "Where's yours?"
Petra blinked. "Oh, no, it's alright! There's only one bag of it left and…I did get it for you after all."
Levi took a sip of the tea, which tasted amazing, as always. Why was she always so sweet on him?
"I don't care. Have the last one. You've had a long couple of days."
"Heichou…"
"It's a great brand. I highly recommend you try it."
"Alright…thank you…" she went to the cupboard to grab another teacup, before pouring some hot water for herself.
Heichou was kind, even if he didn't show it often. She prepared herself some of the black tea that Levi insisted she have, before sitting down across from him at the small kitchen table. They didn't say much, only sat in silence as they sipped their tea. The rain was falling even harder than before, with the thunder and lightning starting up again.
"It's really coming down, huh?" Petra spoke up.
"Looks like it…" Levi took a final swig of tea before finishing it up; somewhat disappointed that it was all gone already.
"Do you think everyone got home alright?" Petra looked at Levi, somewhat concerned about the safety of her commanding officers.
"Don't worry about them…they can handle themselves just fine."
"Mm, yes, you're right." Petra stood up and walked over to the sink, where she washed out her cup and teaspoon, with her back to him once more.
Levi watched her as she cleaned up. He wanted to say something, anything, but what good would that have done? On top of that, he wasn't being completely honest with himself. He didn't want to pretend nothing had gone down between them. Even though she tried to act normal and composed, he could see right through her.
Petra walked over to Levi and looked at his cup. "Oh, are you finished?"
Levi only watched as Petra went to grab his empty teacup.
He wasn't finished…not in the slightest.
Before Petra could even so much as brush her fingertips against the teacup handle, Levi had grabbed her wrist and stood up hastily, startling Petra as another roar of thunder echoed through the castle. Levi only looked at her briefly, for what had to be only a fraction of a second, before saying one word only.
"No." and he pulled her in, pressing his mouth against hers.
"Mmf!" Petra felt his lips press against hers once more, so tender and passionate that he nearly took her breath away. They both tasted like tea, with a mix of bitter and sweet.
Petra knew she should just stop where she stood. She should take this moment to push him away, to scold him, to tell him that forcing a kiss on a woman unexpectedly was rude and wrong and unacceptable and….
Levi gently cupped Petra's lower back with his hand and pulled her closer to him, kissing her longer and a bit more aggressively.
"Mm…" Petra closed her eyes, once again giving into his mouth, feeling embarrassingly weak at the knees. Though his action was sudden and completely inappropriate, she couldn't help but also find it sexy…daring…
"Petra…" Levi breathed between kisses. His voice held a particularly smooth tone, with just a hint of longing. She continued to let him kiss her, as she gave in even more. They ended up kissing for a good five minutes, right there in the middle of the kitchen, heavily and aggressively, much like earlier. Though they were no longer near the table, as Levi had Petra pinned against the wall now, kissing her harshly and feeling all over her hips with his fingertips once more.
"Mmm…Levi…stop…" she ended up gasping.
"Why?" he whispered, before kissing her lips again.
"Not…fair…" she murmured between kisses.
Levi pulled back and looked at her for a moment, not showing much expression, before leaning into her again, with his head on her shoulder. Petra swallowed hard and her heart was nearly throbbing out of her chest at this point. Levi gently brushed his lips against her ear, causing her to shiver when his soft breaths rolled off of her skin.
"No Petra…it's not fair that you kiss me when I'm completely unaware of it. Like tonight. And a few weeks ago. So…we aren't quite even yet."
Petra blushed madly and tried not to stutter. "You…how did you? You were awake?"
"Tch. I'm a very light sleeper, Petra. You should know this about me by now." He whispered.
"Mm…" He was right, she should have known…did know. "I…somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that…" she whispered back.
"So why…" he pressed his lips to her temple, causing her to flinch and blush even more. "…did you insist on doing it?"
"I…don't know…" Petra trailed off.
"Bull-fucking-shit." Levi said as he took her chin in his hand and turned her towards him, once again kissing her lips less then gently.
"Hei…chou…!" she tried to say his name in between those forsaken kisses he was giving her, but made no avail. They continued to kiss for another couple of minutes, before Petra managed to pull away, looking at Levi with a pained expression on her face, yet was still completely flushed.
"Heichou! Please…" she looked extremely embarrassed, and was not doing a very good job at hiding it any longer, though, to Levi, this just made her even more adorably attractive to him.
"Please what?" Levi cocked his head at her, not really wanting to talk anymore. He just wanted to continue to taste her, to embrace her whole body. Something had really come over him, but this time he didn't seem to care.
"Please…we can't…we're even now." She whispered, looking away from him.
"Is that what you want?" he asked.
"Levi…" she said his name without thinking.
"Petra." He cut her off again, pressing his forehead up against hers. "Tell me you don't want me and I'll put an end to this right now." He whispered.
"Levi…no…"
"You don't want me?" he asked.
"That's not…true…" she put her gaze on him, worried that she would regret admitting that to him.
"Then you do want me." Levi stated softly.
"What if I did…?"she trailed off, still keeping her eyes locked with his.
Levi stared at her, giving her a look of pure desire, at least for a moment, catching Petra off guard a bit. Before she could say anything else, or even try to take back what she had just said to him, Levi had caught her in another kiss. Just when she thought his kisses couldn't get any more rough, he stuck his tongue deep into her mouth, a bit forcefully…and almost desperately…but it was also sweet. She gave into him, clutching his shirt as he had her tightly pinned against the wall, letting his lips wander all over hers. His lips were not the only thing that was wandering, as his hands began to feel up her hips again, as he slowly tucked his fingers under her shirt, slowly going up her back.
Petra then had a small feeling of panic. What else was he planning on doing? She had almost let him under her shirt in the alcove earlier…but they were not exactly in private, and now everyone was home and they couldn't just do things like that right here in the middle of a dirty kitchen…could they? Petra was enjoying his hands so much, but wanted so bad to speak up…and yet she continued to kiss him, pushing back any panic and 'what if' thoughts. Of course, after finally doing so, the two heard footsteps in the hallway.
"Heichou?" Eren's voice called.
Levi pulled away from Petra, and she could clearly see a look of pure annoyance on his face.
"God fucking damn it…" he muttered removing his hands from beneath Petra's shirt. He backed away from her, now causing a cold gap in between them, much to Petra's dismay.
Eren slightly pushed the kitchen door open, appearing before the two in his pajamas. "Oh, I'm sorry…was I interrupting something?" Eren looked at Levi, and then at Petra.
"Oh, no! Not at all, Eren!" Petra smiled, trying not to look nervous.
"Are you…sure?" Eren raised an eyebrow.
"What is it? Spit it out already." Levi growled.
Eren blinked, wondering why the Captain was so cranky towards him all of the sudden.
"I uh, had a question to ask you, Captain!" he saluted.
Levi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah okay, have a seat Eren." He glanced at Petra momentarily, before she smiled and quickly clapped her hands together.
"Well! I'll just leave you two to your conversation. It's late, so I think I'm going to turn in. Goodnight Eren, Captain Levi." She nodded at the two, and with that, she quickly headed out the kitchen door, with Levi and Eren staring right after her, and Eren still looking slightly confused.
"Tch…" Levi was annoyed as ever. Now of all times the brat wanted to have a heart to heart chat. And then Petra sweetly calling him 'Levi' quickly went back to 'Captain'. But regardless of his feelings, it was best to tend to Eren first, since he was the most vital thing to this upcoming expedition. His personal feelings for Petra would have to be put to the side, at least for the time being.
About an hour later, Petra had awoken once more, this time from the relentless rain and thunder coming from outside. She got up to use the restroom, and had even gotten a glass of water just to kill time. It was late, maybe around midnight, and she knew she should be getting a good night's rest, but she couldn't seem to calm her mind down; not in the slightest. So much had happened during the past couple of days, and she was worn out mentally, physically, and emotionally. This should all have been reason enough for her to sleep, but no, here she was, wide awake, roaming the castle halls like some weirdo. She sighed to herself.
"You really haven't been yourself lately…"
At that moment, she had just so happen to walk past Levi's room, the room she had spent the last two days in. She stopped in front of his door for a moment, just staring up at it.
She shouldn't…she wouldn't…would she?
This was stupid…
He was probably asleep by now. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him up if he was finally getting a decent good night's sleep. She was about to turn around and head back to her own room when she looked down at the stone floor beneath her feet. There was a small amount of dim candle light coming from underneath the door. Maybe he was still awake after all, which didn't surprise Petra too much. From what she knew of him, he had trouble sleeping, and was indeed a very light sleeper, for reasons unknown to her, though she did have a hunch. She turned back to his door and stared at it once again for a moment. She sighed heavily and held up her hand, clenching it into a small fist.
"Petra…what in the hell are you doing?"
Her heart started racing at this point, once again making her feel more nervous by the second.
"Don't you dare knock on that door…"
Her thoughts kept racing, her mind on the brink of overload. Maybe she should, maybe she shouldn't, but regardless, her fist swiftly hit the wooden door three times, echoing a bit loudly through the hallway. She waited for a moment, nervously staring at the door. She was actually doing this…she was nuts. She was fucking nuts. She still had time to run…she did. But even though her thoughts kept telling her to get away, she didn't want to.
The door slowly came ajar, letting more of the dim light into the dark hallway. And then there he was, standing only a few feet away from her once more. He blinked, looking at the ginger haired beauty standing in front of him. He never expected her to show up at his door, especially now of all times.
"Petra…"
"Hey, Heichou…" Petra smiled softly, trying not to look bashful.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing…just can't sleep…" she trailed off, still keeping her gaze on him.
"Me neither." Levi kept his eyes locked onto hers as well. "So...are you alright? Why are you here? Did you need something?
Petra only looked at him, her eyes softening. She swallowed hard, knowing that the next words out of her mouth would either make or break them both.
"I…just wanted to see you…Levi…"
Levi only looked at her, her words hitting him even harder than he ever thought possible. For some reason, she was the only one who knew how to make him feel like this…weak, even a little pathetic at times, to the point where even when she dropped his name it made him feel good. He kept his gaze on her. She was beautiful, and kind, and…he wasn't finished yet. He should have finished in the kitchen, hell, he should have finished under the alcove…for fuck's sake he should have never even started with her, but he was in way too deep now. It didn't even matter anymore. Levi was not one to think about the past, or even try to think about the future. All he wanted to think about was the present; what was happening right now at this very moment.
"Funny…I wanted to see you too." Levi admitted, causing Petra to blush lightly and her heart to flutter.
"Looks like you are braver then I am after all…" Levi said softly before grabbing her hand and gently pulling her into his bedroom, shutting the door tightly behind him.