Chpt 15: The Maiden Is Much Amused At The Beast

Levi is regretting his words; badly.

After sending Petra back to bed after an early dinner, Levi took it himself to feed the brat like any normal dad would. Except the brat refuses to eat his vegetables, again.

"Eat it, otherwise you won't grow tall and big."

At the back of his mind, a voice that sounds too fucking similar to Hanji laughing at him for saying those words. He tells the voice to shut the fuck up.

Leo turns his head away from the spoon, a sign of rebellion at such a young age when he hasn't even gone through puberty worries Levi a whole unnecessary lot. Nudging the Winnie the Pooh spoon once more against his lips, Leo decides enough is enough and smacks away the part of his dinner which he hates.

"Leo!" Levi raises his voice. His temper wasn't the best to begin with and with his stubborn son wasting food, a good picture cannot be painted.

He curses when he hears shuffling coming from Petra's room and quickly clears the mess on the table, just in time for Petra to see a clean table when she opens her door. "Is everything alright, Levi? Your voice woke up me up."

"Everything's alright. Go back to sleep, Petra. You should be resting."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll make sure Leo," he shoots a dirty glare to his darling son who has put on an innocent-looking face when he saw his mum, "eats his greens even if it kills me."

His words does not put Petra at ease. "Hide it among some meat, keep it out of sight. And make sure they're small in size so he does not notice them easily." Sharing a few tips on how to deal with their stubborn son.

"... I knew that."

Petra spends whatever energy she has now to roll her eyes at those words.

The trash is cleared and their tummies are full. It's time for a bath.

Leo seems satisfied with his bubble bath, arms splashing around a little too wildly for Levi's taste but his laughter brings much joy to the new dad. It's his first time doing such stuff and though his back is kinda stiff and his blood pressure a little higher, he feels content. If only he didn't miss out on Leo's first three years.

Levi is thrown out of his musings when he feels more than a little drop of water dripping down his hair. He observes his son splashing more soap-filled water around with his short arms. Usually Levi will throw a hussy fit but since he's in such a good mood, he graces Leo with a splash of his own.

The toilet is a mess by the time Levi carries Leo out of the bathroom, the little boy happily dressed in his matching Batman pyjamas.

Petra wakes up feeling more like a human and less like piece of shit after a night of peaceful rest. She still feels her nose is clogged but the fever seems to have gone down a little. Shuffling out of her room to the toilet, she sees a familiar tuft of black hair sticking out from the couch. Peering over warily in case her couch grew black grass overnight, she heaves a small sigh of relief to see it's just Levi.

He's still in his work clothes, his coat covering him. Even though the heater is on, Petra can see him shivering the slightest bit and suddenly feels guilty. He stayed the night to look after Leo and he has to sleep out in the living room, without any blanket or proper pillow.

Petra goes back to her room and retrieves the extra blanket from her cupboard, returning to cover Levi, tucking him in like she would a little kid. He rouses a little at the sudden welcoming warmth.

"Huh, is something wrong?" He mumbles tiredly, voice thick with sleepiness that has yet to elude him.

"Nothing's wrong. Go back to sleep."

Normally, Levi would take insult to any sort of cooing but since it's been a while he actually got some decent sleep, the big man obediently falls back to sleep.

"There's my favourite boy!"

Levi's first instinct upon hearing those words is to duck under his table but his ego is tethering him to his chair. Taking in the deepest breath of air he can possible take – he's going to need it – and releasing it slowly if only to delay what's going to happen, Levi groans mentally.

"What the fuck do you want? If Hawkeye comes hauling for you again, don't blame me."

"You wound me." Roy dramatically clutches his chest and feigns an expression of pain that will probably put actors to shame. "Can't I visit my dearest littl-"

"No."

Roy sighs in defeat; Levi never gives him the time of his day. Levi has his reasons for doing so. Past experience tells him it's a waste of time if it isn't related to work. But today! Today, he's here with a purpose!

"I take it that you heard of the upcoming event?"

"Roy, I've been in this company for over 6 fucking years. How can I not know of the annual company dinner," He spits out the last three words with unconcealed distaste.

Levi has never enjoyed the company dinner before. If only Erwin hadn't announce attendance is compulsory, Levi will surely have booked a ticket out of the country for 1 day only. Not only does it mean socializing – granted his job means he has to but that doesn't mean he has to enjoy it – and meeting his other colleagues in the various departments who he only sees once a year, or even less if they don't bump into each other at the dinner. The food is... acceptable considering the dinenr is usually held at a 5-star hotel but he has to swallow his meal with much difficulty when his table companions try to chit-chat with him; he still remembering persuading his inner self to not gouge the lady who was next to him last year. The nerve of that bitch, sliding her slimy claws along his thighs.

Worst of all, everyone has to bring a date. A date. Levi almost threw his resignation letter the first time he saw that in the email.

Fuck you and the dinner is still sitting in his draft box.

"So... are you going to ask the lovely Petra?"

Roy's shit-eating grin is too wide for Levi's taste. "What about you? When will Hawkeye finally give in to your fruitless attempts at wooing her?" It's Levi's turn to be smug when he sees Roy's face turns 180 degrees but it wasn't for long.

"She accepted!"

"... What, in particular?"

"Being my girlfriend, of course," He announces suavely, flicking his fringe out of his eyes like a model would. Levi doesn't need to know he went through all 18 levels of Hell to get her to say yes.

"Congratulations."

"That's it? That's all you have to say?!"

Levi stares at his ex-mentor with a face that screams Roy's an idiot and he's acting like one.

"Yes."

"You disappoint me, son."

"Fucking hell, don't call me that. I'd rather die than have you as my dad."

Roy brushes the insult one side and continues with his original intent. "So are you going with Petra?"

Levi fidgets minutely around in his seat, uncomfortable with the question; of course he's going to ask Petra but whether she's going to accept his invitation is the main problem.

"We'll see."

"Of course I will."

He releases a breath he did not know he was holding. "Ok. That's good to hear."

If only she has her phone out, his new facial expressions proves to be much too precious to be lost in this world. "Did you think I was going to reject you?"

"... Of course not! I was certain you will accept."

"Uh-huh." She would have snorted if it didn't mean choking on her pasta. Just to mess with him a little, "What if I told you if I already accepted Auruo's invitation?"

What a sight to behold; Levi choking on his lasagna and playing it off as a sneeze.