Author's Note: So I just think that Petra still calling Levi 'Heichou' despite me writing in English is just the cutest thing, so if you're wondering why she's the only one that calls him that, it's me indulging myself.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the official Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan characters.

Forever is Never for Certain

Chapter Two

Levi found Hanji in the library, digging through old books that she'd poured over twenty, no, thirty times before, still in the hopes of discovering anything that could match up with her new research. There never was, of course, because for all of her intensive and extensive experiments, she never learned anything.

"We need to talk."

He threw himself into a chair opposite her, sitting back with one arm on the table, his hand in a fist and his brows turned down far more than usual.

Hanji looked up from her book, blinking at him several times.

"Talk?"

Levi never wanted to talk with her. They were close, that much was true, but their friendship had blossomed over necessity, not platonic attraction. The things they had learned about each other, and eventually their willingness to share in regards to their personal lives had come about through conversation that generally began on work related topics.

Or, of course, when Hanji was just dying to know something and Levi found it to be more trouble to hold her off than to actually let her know.

"I'm worried about Petra."

Hanji shrugged, turning a page, "maybe she's pregnant. That happens, you know. Fainting and such."

"No," Levi muttered, looking off somewhere over her shoulder, "I am very careful."

It was his reaction to her suggestion that caused the studious brunette to pause, then close her book, giving him her full attention. Generally he would have responded with an annoyed 'tch', or any of his various snide remarks, dismissing the ridiculous notion with venom.

Tonight, however, her words had been carefully considered and reasoned away, as if he already expected the worst, as if an unplanned pregnancy would have been his preferred outcome, but his cautiousness rendered this completely impossible.

"She's not eating," he elaborated, "she's weak and pale—"

"She's sick."

Levi grit his teeth. "I know that."

But Hanji only shook her head with a smile. "I mean she's just sick, Levi. She works hard; it's only natural for her body to force her to take a break every now and then. You're over thinking."

"You aren't taking me seriously."

She grinned, "Do I ever?"

When he came at her with nothing, she relaxed, propping her elbow up on the table and resting her head in her open palm.

"Is this an intuition thing?"

The way his jaw clenched confirmed it and she sighed, fanning herself with the book's cover. Though she was convinced his concern was little more than overprotectiveness clouding his mind's logic, there was something to be said for his intuition that she wasn't about to ignore.

"Would it make you feel better if I looked out for her?"

Levi slid his eyes over to her, finally gracing her with eye contact. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

They both knew he wasn't asking.

xxxx

Flinging open the doors of the small wooden wardrobe, Petra pursed her lips. Though her hands instinctively reached for her white blouse, she forced her arm to the right, pulling one of two dresses from its hanger. It wasn't that she didn't like to wear them; they were a staple in her civilian wardrobe, but today was not a scheduled day off, so donning a frock was a reminder of the punishment Levi had put upon her.

Brows rose when she and Levi arrived at the breakfast table. The corporal sat, his eyes barely open at this ungodly hour, and Petra darted away to retrieve the coffee she had put on. She returned with a smile, serving each of the men and then herself before sitting down to the meal. She would definitely be eating today, she had decided.

Her stomach rumbled in agreement.

"You look cute today," Erd commented, giving a small nod to her dress, "find some free time?"

She smiled in thanks, taking note of Auruo's scowl. His compliments (no matter how roundabout) were never received so kindly.

"It was decided that I take some time off for the sake of my health," she confirmed.

Levi grunted in agreement.

"Ah well, that'll be good," Gunther said, jabbing his thumb towards Auruo. "If nothing else it'll keep this rascal out of your hair for a bit."

Petra couldn't help but laugh. "When he's pestering me it means he's alive and well so I can't complain too much."

"Such caring words!" Auruo cried out, his grin smug and satisfactory.

Levi regarded this with annoyance and Petra's features tightened to mirror his own.

"Choke on them," she snapped.

Levi hid a smile behind his coffee.

After a successful day of keeping herself busy, Petra was beginning to feel better. The unease was steadily melting away, she'd eaten all three meals, and hadn't felt faint once. Perhaps everyone had been right. She needed to take better care of herself.

The next day was an incredibly beautiful one, where the summer heat had subsided a bit and a cool breeze made its way across the town giving its citizens a break from the scorching sun that had been the past few weeks.

Just after he'd eaten lunch, Levi made his way to the stables. He'd assigned a new recruit to tend to them and though he liked to think that all of the new brats were smart enough to clean and feed properly, he knew better. He'd have to inspect things regularly until they got a handle on how things were to be done.

When he arrived, however, said recruit was nowhere to be found. Instead, it was Petra running a currycomb across the coat of a brilliant chestnut mare.

"Petra."

Lost in her thoughts as she often was, she gave a little jump and smiled at him. "Good afternoon, Heichou."

If he had been in the mood for games earlier, he was no longer.

"I believe you are on suspension," he stated, crossing his arms and widening his stance.

Petra blinked. "O-of course. Am I doing something wrong?"

Levi motioned to the horse and she smiled, giving the equine a loving pat. "I came down here to visit my horse," she said earnestly, "I suppose she gets lonely sometimes. I brought her sugar cubes. She was hungry so I fed her and thirsty so I watered her."

Mouth set in a straight line, he waited for her to go on.

"Having the need to entertain myself for a whole week, I decided to groom her. It's incredibly relaxing, and allows me to daydream whereas if I were on duty I wouldn't be able to."

What a sly girl, his Petra. She'd found a loophole that allowed her to work under the guise of caring for a pet.

Stepping forward, Levi resumed his frown, hooking two fingers into the neckline of her day dress, pulling her forward slightly.

"That horse is military property," he told her lowly, "it is a liability to have unauthorized personnel handling it."

"Unauthorized and off the clock are not the same thing, Levi," she reminded him.

Using his hold on her clothing, he coaxed her down slightly, flicking his gaze down the bodice of the gown. He greatly enjoyed her civilian clothing. "Are you so quick to dismiss my commands?" he wondered.

"Being on suspension I don't believe I have an obligation to obey your orders."

With a forceful tug, he pulled her against him until nothing but the fist that held her neckline was between them. "Need I add a week for insubordination?"

"Oooh," she breathed, forcing out a mock shudder as she tilted her lips up playfully against his ear, "scary Heichou."

Boots crunched the ground behind them and he released her with an annoyed glance, turning to face the poor girl who had been subjected to this task alone.

"Put this one away," he commanded, gesturing to Petra's ride and snatching the brush from her hand, "Ral is through."

Petra bristled, but a silent waring from him kept her from voicing her indignation. Instead, she smiled at the recruit and left the stables. Levi followed closely behind.

"Am I your captive that you feel the need to tail me, Heichou?"

He didn't like her tone but he disregarded it. "I want to know what you have planned for the day."

She turned to him, crossing her arms. "I won't be submitting requests on my days off."

"And I'm not asking as your superior."

She blinked and relaxed, giving him a soft smile. Even after all this time it was difficult to discern from commanding corporal and concerned lover. It was lucky for her there was rarely a need for it.

"I wanted to go into town," she told him, "if I'm forced to relax, I can enjoy what the locals have to offer."

It wasn't a bad idea; getting out of headquarters for more than an errand or a meeting would be a good change of scenery.

"Take Erd with you."

Petra opened her mouth to protest but he caught her with a finger on her lips. "Please," he added.

Her shoulders dropped she conceded defeat.

xxxx

By the time dinner was nearing, Erd and Petra were making their way through the streets of merchants packing up for the day, bellies full of snacks indigenous to the area. Though the temptation to give into a shopping spree had been ever present, Petra had reminded herself that when she recovered from this 'vacation', she wouldn't have any time to enjoy the new things she wanted to buy, a pretty little gown in particular.

"Petra, might I ask you a personal question?"

She gave her friend a small 'hm?' as she put a finger to her mouth, contemplating dashing in to the tanner's to see if she couldn't make it in time to treat herself to a new coin purse.

"It's about what Auruo said the other night."

Purse forgotten, she whipped her face towards the blonde, her brows knit together in irritation.

"I am not pregnant," she snapped.

He let out a small laugh and smiled down at her. "I know that."

"Oh."

Her expression shifted then to genuine curiosity. "What is it then?"

"I was wondering if Auruo's speculation might have any merit. Your feelings are hardly a secret."

Petra pursed her lips, doing her best not to let her face redden. Erd, Auruo, and Gunther were always poking fun at her. It wasn't easy for her to keep atop of their antics.

"Neither of you are very good at keeping your flirtations discreet," he continued, adding with a grimace, "especially considering how awkward Corporal's are."

She giggled at this and Erd closed his eyes, sighing.

"Really Petra, sometimes it's painful to watch him."

"He isn't very good with women," she admitted softly. She was no exception and she loved that about him. Levi was good at scowling, brooding, and throwing insults with either a curled lip or a horrifyingly bored expression that gave the recipient the feeling they weren't worth his time.

When it came to flirting, however, tossing around witty phrases with a gentle expression, it wasn't something he was able to do. If he wanted to kiss her, he would. If he wanted her to remove her clothing, he'd do it for her. If he liked her dress he'd tell her, you look like a girl today.

But he tried. He tried to give her half-smiles over tea. He did his best to play games, hinting at what he wanted, and he bit his tongue hard in order to keep his language clean around her. Even though it all crumbled every single time, Petra adored him for it because he did it all for her.

She smiled fondly at this before returning her attention to her comrade. "Are you asking me if I am physically intimate with Heichou?"

"That's one way of phrasing it," he laughed, adjusting the parcels he was carrying for her, "I suppose I was going to be less delicate."

Petra let out a deep breath of air. "Do you think less of me?"

Erd raised a brow. "What makes you think I would?"

"Well," she thought carefully, keeping her eyes focused on the road ahead of them, "He is our superior. And he is a lot older than I am." She paused, pursing her lips. "Hanji likes to tease me about that."

But Erd wasn't bothered by any of that. "You're a smart girl," he told her, "and you work hard. I know you well enough to know you're well aware of what you're getting yourself into and I am also certain that you have no ulterior motives."

"Really?"

He didn't know why she was so surprised. Was she really that afraid of what her friends would think of her relationship with the corporal?

"Actually I'm happy for you. Both of you."

Petra looked up at him, then blinked. "You are?"

Erd shrugged. "Well, it's good to know that Corporal has someone to take care of him. You're the motherly type so I know he's in good hands. As for you, you've got a good man to protect you. That's important."

Letting out an indignant huff, she stomped her foot on the cobblestone, throwing her hands onto her hips. "I don't need protecting," she argued.

"Everybody needs protecting sometimes," he told her gently, "in different ways."

Though she couldn't think of anything she needed to be shielded from, she allowed her silence to convey her agreement.

A feeling came to her then, one that was beginning to feel familiar and she sucked in a breath to hold the cough at bay. Her whole body flushed and she wasn't sure which feeling was more uncomfortable: the desperate need to relieve the tickle at the back of her throat or the sweat that was beading on her forehead for no rational reason.

"Hey. . .are you alright?"

Damnit.

"Y-yeah," she ground out, motioning to her throat, "it's just a—" she was cut off as she exploded, unable to hold it back any longer, coughing into the crook of her elbow. "—just a tickle," she wheezed out with a smile, waving him off as she continued her fit.

"I hate that," he said, giving her back a solid whack.

Petra closed her eyes, thankful that his casual words were devoid of suspicion, but annoyed that his effort wasn't helping. If anything, he was throwing her off what precious little balance she had left in her steadily weakening limbs.

When she felt blood splatter against her skin she grimaced and when she was through, she wiped it away, throwing her hands onto her knees to catch her breath.

"That sucked," she gasped, making light of it, "like I swallowed a bug or something."

"Not going to kiss Corporal with that bug mouth, are you?" he teased, stepping back and laughing when she gave him a playful shove.

"I think I'm good now," she sighed, forcing down the metallic taste in her mouth and running her tongue along her teeth. "Let's go home."

xxxx

When the sun had long since set and the moon rose in the sky, Petra prepared Levi's tea and took the tray up to his office where he was undoubtedly grumbling about paperwork. Levi hated paperwork. He was a man of action.

He acknowledged her with a small grunt when she placed the hot beverage before him and, shoving some documents aside, reached for his drink.

"How was your outing?"

"It was fun," she told him, moving to stand behind him and sliding her arms over his shoulders, kissing the side of his face, "I brought you a gift."

She slipped a small parcel onto his desk, hugging his neck while he undid the twine and watched the paper fall away. Half a dozen tea biscuits sat there, a special type only found in this particular town that he had expressed his favoritism of on multiple occasions, though never quite bothered to go out of his way to acquire them. He had other things to do.

"I've been quite a bit of a brat lately," Petra admitted, nuzzling the back of his head, enjoying the soft resistance of the shaved hair there.

"Yes you have," he murmured in agreement, "and thank you."

"Still," she said, resting her chin atop his head with a sigh and sliding her hands down his chest, "you chose me because I am strong. Please don't forget that."

Her hands stopped, palms flat against the top of his thighs and he reached up for her shoulders, pressing her closer against his back.

"None of us are invincible, Petra."

She grinned, giving his legs a squeeze and enjoying the hiss that slipped out from between his teeth. "Of course not," she replied, lowering her head to his shoulders and gracing his pulse with a soft kiss.

Levi tilted his head to one side, an automatic reaction as he let out a steady breath of air and his own hands settled into her hair, keeping her in place. She smiled, humming against his skin before ducking out of his hold.

With her hands wrapped around the legs of the chair, she pulled, sliding wood against wood and dragging him away from the desk. In a single swift move, she swung herself to face him and with an unnecessary flourish, lifted one side of her skirts as she lowered herself onto his lap.

God bless women's clothing, Levi thought as he felt his gaze cloud with lust. In her cheeky demonstration he'd caught a glimpse of her undergarments. Today she wore traditional drawers, cute little things that cinched at her calves, tied off with little satin ribbons. It was such a treat when she wore them. They were light and puffy, like a confection, hiding the curves that dwelled inside them, forcing him to imagine them himself, a distinct contrast to the form fitting short pants she was required to wear beneath her uniform.

His hands were on her again, traveling up from her waist to her ribcage, then back down again, his fingers tapping against the bodice of her dress as he did so. She had her fingers in his hair, pushing him back and using the rungs of the chair to lift herself up, lowering her lips to his.

Electric heat shot through both of their bodies then and neither of them wasted any time with soft flirtations. He let her have her authority over him; she'd become remarkably bold and confident in the time they'd spent, hungry and desperate for one another. She squeezed her fists still full of his hair, moaning softly against his mouth and his own fingers clenched the back of her clothing. It hurt; he wouldn't deny it, but when she softened her grip, he relaxed.

Petra repeated the motion, pushing herself up, tugging at his hair, then releasing him, easing herself back down onto his thighs several times over. Each time she voiced her appreciation and her desire for him, and each time Levi thought he might break beneath her. His mind was blank, raw instinct taking charge as he fought her tongue for dominance, fingers deftly unlacing the tweed waistcoat she wore over her day dress.

Shoving it from her shoulders, he flung it across the room. He stood, and never breaking away from her kiss, kicked the chair back, pulling her legs around his waist. One of her shoes dropped from her tiny feet but neither of them paid any attention. With quick and purposeful strides, Levi crossed the room, dropping her down onto a settee, letting his body fall with hers.

"Levi," she panted, fiddling with the buckle on his straps, her concentration not nearly as honed as his own.

"Yes," he muttered, leaving a trail of hot kisses from behind her ear down to her collarbone then back up again. He didn't care what she had to say. His answer was yes.

"I just. . ." her hands fell away when he pulled the her neckline down, continuing his affections on the newly exposed territory of her breasts, her mind growing more feeble at his touch, "I just love you."

Forcing himself away from her, he sat up, shrugging off his harness and quickly shedding his shirt and cravat as well. He needed to feel her hands on his skin.

"You don't need to tell me that, woman," he growled, pulling her up against him and claiming her mouth again, "I already know."

Of course he knew, she mused as her fingertips pressed against his chiseled chest, she told him every day.

His hands dove under her skirts and with her arms around his shoulders and her face buried in his neck, she lifted her bottom half, allowing him to yank the drawers from her body. His boots were next, followed by his pants and the bottom half of the harness. In one swift pull, her dress slipped from her tiny form, flew up in the air, and settled on some piece of furniture neither of them cared to notice.

When she was completely bare beneath him he smiled. It had been too long. Far too long.

Hooking one of her legs over his shoulder, he slid inside of her, groaning with satisfaction as he did so. He cracked open an eye, watching her lids as they fluttered closed and her cheeks became tinged with the heat coursing through her entire body. Her back arched and she reached for him. He complied as he always did, dropping his forehead onto her shoulder, one hand holding her ankle, the other between their bodies, cupping one of her breasts and teasing her perfectly delectable nipple with his thumb.

With each thrust forward, Petra let out a soft mewl of pleasure that he savored and every time he pulled back, she reprimanded him, dragging her fingernails up the muscles of his back, leaving deep scratches in their wake. He loved the pain she inflicted upon him; it awoke his every sense, set his nerves on edge, heightening his awareness of the pleasure, a violent clash on contradictory sensations. It was beautiful.

"You'll be the death of me," he muttered, pushing back the now damp hair from her forehead and planting a kiss amidst the beads of sweat that had gathered there, never once breaking the frantic rythem he had set for them, "but I love you for it."

"You don't need to tell me that, Heichou," she replied, tipping her lips up into a half smile, soaking in the affection, "I already know."

To scold her for such cheekiness, he pushed her leg from his shoulder, taking her hips in both of his hands and with one solid thrust, buried himself completely in her core.

Her eyes snapped open and her head fell back over the arm of the settee while her chest rose and she let out a cry far louder than she had intended. It had been thick and sensual, halfway between a yelp and a moan that filled the entire office, and it had been his name.

Levi imagined that if anyone was out wandering the halls at this hour, his affaire with Petra was no longer such a secret. Ah, well.

She gasped, lifting her heavy head and grasping onto his wrist to keep herself upright. "Do that again."

His expression was blank as he pushed her back down slowly with three fingers to her forehead. "You'll take what I give you."

She smiled at this, closing her eyes and raising her arms above her head.

"Surprise me then."

xxxx

With her dress as a makeshift blanket, Levi lay atop Petra, listening to the frantic beating of her heart while she stroked his hair and fought the urge to let sleep claim her. She let out a series of coughs, thankful they didn't become a fit, and adjusted her body slightly.

"Heichou?"

"Hm?" He wasn't in the mood for pillow talk tonight, having just exhausted much of his worry and frustration. He didn't even have the energy to correct her addressing of him, not that it would do him much good. She always called him what she pleased.

"Your tea is cold."

"Hang the tea," he bit off weakly, close to slumber himself, "you brought it; that's what matters to me."

He had everything he needed, everything he wanted, right here in the form of the woman dozing off beneath him. He pulled the fabric up a bit higher, thankful for the obscene amount of material these garments were made from, and focused his energy on the door. Had he locked it?

He didn't care.

"Sleep here," he murmured, "I'll take care of things in the morning."

He lifted his chin ever so slightly to watch her reaction, but he was met with nothing but her lips, swollen from his kisses and parted slightly, her gentle rhythm of inhaling and exhaling like tiny whispers in their secret paradise.

She was already asleep.

xxxx

Author's Notes: Thank you for continuing on with this story; please let me know how you feel~ :)