#here my rivetras have some food

[everypetrapanel]

“Every Petra Panel”

Volume 6, Episode 26: The Easy Path

[capitainelevi]

Fic collaboration with @soarecreates​ ❤️

Life with the Ackermans

Levi Ackerman's life can only be described by using two words: domestic bliss. When a ghost from Levi's past visits him, his family's life takes an unexpected turn.

Postwar Rivetra in Marley with a pinch of Kenny Ackerman in their lives

CHAPTER 3 HERE

Snippet:

Kenny had almost forgotten how rough life with the runt by his side could be. Kenny, clean that. Kenny, you’re disgusting. Kenny, change your underwear daily. Kenny, no guns at the dinner table. Kenny, stop hitting on my wife. Kenny this, Kenny that. It almost made him debate if free food and housing were worth having a mother constantly nagging him about how to live his life. Imagine the kid thought I was his dad at some point, Kenny found himself laughing about lately.

Right now, though, he didn’t feel like laughing much at all as he thought about his most recent argument with his nephew that had happened just a couple of hours prior to him coming to this bar. Frankly, he felt he deserved better after all he had done for the brat, but it felt as if Levi was finding any excuse to fight with him and drive him out of his home. The house that Kenny had turned into a home for them, that was. He had done what Levi had asked of him. Why had his nephew been so angry? He grimaced as he remembered.

“What the fuck is this, Kenny?” Levi scoffed in disgust as he looked at the mess in the kitchen, which he had politely asked his uncle to clean, but he had returned to an even bigger mess. Wet dishes were stacked on the counter, dripping water all over that it was now trailing onto the floor. And Levi swore that he still saw stains on the supposedly "washed" dishes. It was when he looked in the sink he wanted to gag, seeing splashes of food covering the sink and most of the dinner’s leftovers sat piling up on the drain.

“Why do I even bother asking you for help if you can’t do anything fucking right?” He added, crossing his arms. “What do you even bring to this house? You don’t contribute in any way. All you fucking do is mooch off of us.”

Kenny could hear the growing frustration in his nephew’s voice, and when he met Levi’s gaze, he could see it too. “Quit it, will ya? I did the dishes like ya asked.” He responded submissively, not in the mood to deal with another one of Levi’s outbursts over something so minuscule. Though he then smirked, and Levi knew the man was going to say something he wouldn’t appreciate. “I’ll tell you what I brought to this house. I made it a home for ya.” He claimed proudly.

“You’re delusional. I don’t care what Petra says; you’re out.” He was certain Kenny was mental. Levi had done his best to look past Kenny’s aggression for the sake of his family. But instead of answering his nephew, all Kenny did was sit in Levi’s favourite chair with his arms crossed and a shit-eating grin on his face. A smile that answered Levi’s threat: Let’s bring Petra in and see what she thinks about this.

[prompts-of-a-dreamer]

Levi : Does He Like Women?

I'm pretty sure that if you've been in the Attack on Titan fandom for a while, you've heard about 'proof' of Levi being gay from an interview with Isayama. Let's dive a little bit into it, and determine whether or not is this true.

The interview quoted is from a Bessatsu Manga fan event, it is most likely a question from an event called 'Another Maga Thanksgiving 2014' (most likely because I read a comment stating so, but when I searched up the terms no official sources stated the interview, only fans did)

The only source of this particular dialogue was from a tweet by the user @ b5559247 replying to @ aira_toka

Here's the 'original' Japanese transcript:

Ｑ．リヴァイ兵長の好きな女性のタイプを教えてください。

"Rivai Heichō no sukina josei no taipu o oshietekudasai."

Ａ．女性が好きなんですかねえ…？…小さい人って背の高い人を好きになるじゃないですか…。もしかしたら背の高い人が好きかもしれません。

"Josei ga sukinandesu ka nee ....? ....Chīsai hito tte senotakai hito o sukininaru janaidesu ka…. Moshika shitara senotakai hito ga suki kamo shiremasen."

The most common English transcript used for that is:

Q: What type of woman does Levi like?

A: Does he like women, though ... Short people tend to like taller people, so it's possible that he likes tall people.

A lot of fans, at the time mostly 'fujoshis', interpret this as Levi being BL/gay. Some others think he is ace/aro or bi/pan.

However, there are other lesser-known translations for the Q&A. I'm not a native Japanese speaker nor am I proficient at the language.

However other people translate the line :

"Josei ga sukinandesu ka nee...?"

as

"What type of woman does he like, huh...?" (repeating the original question as a rhetorical) instead of "Does he like women, though...?"

This one is based on context, taking into consideration the Q line. Also the ending 'ka nee?' is, although not a formal ending, used mostly as a rhetorical, like adding ' ..., right?' or '...., isn't it?' at the end of a sentence.

The word 'moshika shitara' is also used, which means 'probably', so Levi 'probably' likes tall people. The term 'people' was not an attempt to discreet Levi being gay by the translator, the interview sincerely uses 'hito', which means human with no definitive gender.

The language used may be suggestive, or Isayama never really thought about it and had to make up a sort-of answer during the interview.

I will remind you again that this interview has never been stated in any official sources - only the fans have been spreading it around, therefore it cannot be taken as 'canon proof' as interviews could be fabricated by fans or taken out of context. AoT Editor Kawakubo Shintaro has asked and advised not to take everything mentioned at some fan events as strictly canon, as some things mentioned may be subject to change. Since most of the time these questions are asked in an informal manner, fans are asked to take this information as not strictly canon.

In the Ilse Langnar OVA 'Ilse's Notebook', there was a scene in which Hange, known to be the closest person to Levi, had the following conversation with Oruo :

H :"Let's say that, hypothetically, Levi's trying to kill you. Kill you dead. What would you do? Can you fight and beat him?"

O : "No way. That'd be impossible. Also, I can't breathe."

H :"Let me tell you how to win. You do the research. You figure out where he goes, the food he dislikes, the girls he likes, and how many times he goes to the bathroom."

Hange's statement in the anime hints that Levi does like women. After all could it be that someone so close to him not know his sexual preference? Not to mention that Hange is extremely observant - there's no way they'd miss something like that about Levi, right?

Well, sadly, in the canon manga this scene never existed. It was probably only added by WIT to extend the runtime of the OVA. I have no idea if Isayama has a say in how his manga is being adapted, so it could be that he approved the dialogue, or not. It's very unclear.

But what about LeviHan/EreRi/EruRi/Rivetra (or most recently, Levi x Zeke)? Well, those are all fanon ships since there is no official statement from Isayama. There is nothing wrong with shipping him, with whichever character you'd like, but keep in mind that it stays fanon and he still has no canon lover.

There are some people who states that Isayama confirmed that Levi has never had a crush (suggesting he is aromantic), but my efforts to find the original source came up null. Levi, however, has no canon love interest in the manga.

If Levi is aromantic, what about the Ackerbond? Well, first and foremost, the Ackerbond isn't confirmed to be real, and if it was, the Ackerbond is a heightened sense of trust and loyalty, not romantic love specifically.

Conclusion:

The entire research and thread has proved inconclusive - that Levi's sexuality has never been confirmed, nor does he have any lover that would indicate something.

Personally, I'm more a fan of asexual Levi, take it with a grain of salt, but you can headcanon him as anything you want or ship him with anyone you like.

If you'd like to correct something with citation and sources or add your opinion, please do so, but nicely and respectfully. I know this is a pretty controversial topic, and any insights would be welcome.

[heybeybey]

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Pairing: Rivetra | Levi x Petra

Summary: Forced to retire from the Scouts due to a major injury, Levi thinks he'll be spending the rest of his days in domestic solitude. Petra, however, has another idea.

Loosely based on The Way of the Househusband.

Or: Captain Petra x Househusband Levi canonverse AU

AO3 Link

A/N: Okay I've had this outlined for WEEKS (no ending in mind tho) but I never got around to actually drafting it. But....... I had some time this morning and the inspiration after seeing this post so yay.

Thanks to @sleeperswakewriting for introducing me to The Way of the Househusband. It's cute and funny and DEFINITELY RIVETRA in another universe.

This is going be a drabble series btw but no assurance on when I'll be updating each chapter (My Royalty AU draft is glaring at this fic rn tbh). Some chapters will be based on the Netflix show but Levi's condition is a bit different from Tatsu's so it'll probably be loosely based at best.

And yes, the title is from the song My Girl. But I like this version since I think it fits Petra the most :3

Also also, we all know deep down that Levi wants to be a househusband so here you go.

- - -

Chapter 1: The Ceremonies

There was a time when his mind wandered to how his career in the Scouts would end. Levi always thought he'd die on the battlefield, just as he witnessed among his comrades. He'd accepted that reality, sometimes even waiting for it despite his will to continue fighting on.

For some reason, retiring has never crossed his mind.

"Honorably discharged due to major leg injury, incomplete spinal cord injury, and loss of right eyesight."

He can still hear the pity and sadness from Erwin's voice from that day in the hospital when they talked over where he will go from there. The doctors mentioned that his spine will heal over time, but his leg is broken way beyond repair. It's worse enough that amputation was considered at one point. He'd be good as titan food should he retain his current position in the scouts.

At first, he wanted to scream. He wasn't the type to show some outwardly emotion (except for when he's beating down new recruits or the three males in his squad) but being a part of the Survey Corps is what gave this shit of a life some meaning after he was pulled out of the underground.

Frankly, he didn't know what's next.

"Hey, Captain." Petra's sweet voice snapped Levi out of his thoughts and he forces himself to get out of his bad mood. This was her day and he'd be damned if he ruins it for her.

Levi takes her in and the corner of his lip quirks up. He feels pride fill his chest as his eyes strays a bit on the insignia freshly pinned on her uniform.

"I think I should be the one calling you that, Ral." He replies. "Congratulations."

Wheelchair-bound for what may be the rest of his life, Levi and his squad had to sit down and talk over what's next for the Scout's elites. The obvious choice was Eld, but Levi and the rest of the team were surprised when the blonde man turned down the promotion. He says that while he had the leadership skills and the years of experience that makes him more than qualified, he knew that he didn't have the same burning dedication to the cause as much as he'd witnessed in others.

Eld said that he'd be glad to support the next team captain instead. Oluo, while skilled, had often been too focused on his kill count. Gunther has a strategic mind but didn't really have the charm to bring people together.

So they all turned their attention to Petra.

To be honest, Levi had always wanted to promote Petra as his second-in-command. However, Scout regulations demanded a certain number of years that she didn't have yet at the time he first chose his elite squad. He'd never had a problem with Eld, but his and Petra's ability to synchronise on the battlefield is the reason why he'd always turned to her when he needed a second hand.

It makes sense in his eyes and to the rest of the team, even when Erwin and the other soldiers were doubtful of his choice. They've seen how ferocious Petra is during expeditions, but still had the heart to cry alongside her dying comrades. She's kind and helpful, but knows when a hard decision is needed to be made. She'd pitched in her ideas and opinions every time she accidentally passed by the officers' meeting sessions (she always brought them tea so she sometimes hear the conversations). This was often met with a surprised look from her higher-ups but having worked with Petra for quite some time, Levi would just smirk at his fellow veterans.

She's still rough around the edges and she definitely still has more room to improve, but the potential is there. He wouldn't have chosen her as part of his team in the first place if he didn't see that fire.

He wasn't surprised that Eld, Gunther and Oluo supported her, even when Petra was terrified to accept such a responsibility. Levi was firm in his decision.

In the end, Erwin stamped on his approval.

Levi was the one who pinned the insignia on her signifying her new position during today's pinning-on ceremony.

- - -

"Hey, Captain!"

"I think you should stop calling me that, Petra."

"Sorry. Habit." The ginger blushes slightly as she steps closer inside the apartment, basket in hand. "I bought something for you."

She brings out a few fruits from the basket, laying it down on the dining table in his humble apartment. "The farmer's market was on sale today and I had the chance to pass by before they closed."

"You didn't have to buy me all these, Petra."

"I had to use my pay raise for something, Captain," she jests. He wheels himself towards her to assist her with unloading the basket and they both work in silent contentment.

"So, how's your first day?" Levi asks after washing the fruits. Petra's face lights up at his question and the whole room seems to come alive as she chatters on.

"Holy Maria, Captain. I didn't know the team can be this stupid. No wonder you had dark eyebags after training us for years!"

- - -

It's been three months since he resigned from the Scouts. The new captain never fails to come home to the apartment he's renting near the Scout HQ everyday.

Come home? Tch. How delusional can you get.

He'd welcome her back every expedition and every training day. A part of him feels a bit of guilt gnaw on him when he sees how tired Petra is whenever she comes home, thinking of the time when he was her direct commanding officer.

"Captain, can I sleep here tonight?"

Now, he sees the sorrow and fatigue in her eyes. "You're always welcome here, Petra."

He offers to give up his bed for the night but she declines, saying that she'll be fine on the couch. She's unnaturally quiet, but he knows that this is how she typically is after expeditions.

They're both on the couch right now and she snuggles closer to him. Levi motions for her to lay her head on his lap, their boundaries thinning with every single visit.

He's quiet when he sees the tears start to fall from her eyes. Soon, Petra's sobbing and she wraps her arms desperately around him. His hand starts to slowly run through her ginger locks, hoping it gives her some comfort.

"She was the last in my and Oluo's batch." She starts, voice shaking and he gives her space to talk and mourn her comrade. "I wanted to save her... but it was either her or compromise the mission. I had to give the order."

"I'm sorry." Because if someone understands her better, it's him.

- - -

"Levi?"

It's the scout's day off today and they're all allowed to leave the vicinity to visit friends and family, or simply just to fuck around if they wanted.

Petra, not surprisingly, decides to spend another weekend with him.

"Hmm?" He's currently preparing their lunch, wheeling himself around the kitchen area.

"Did you ever think about settling down when you were still in the scouts?"

He cocks an eyebrow at her question. "And leave a widow crying on my grave? I didn't even have the time to date, Petra."

And he didn't even want to date someone else. Not when he kept having wet dreams about his own subordinate at that time.

"Well, you have a chance now, right?" Petra starts to help with laying down the dishes on the table. He looks at her, eyes taking in her body language. She's doing that thing with her hands again where she tries to occupy it with things to do whenever she's nervous. She's too tense for this to be some absent chatter.

"Just spit it out, Petra."

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm always here. In this apartment. Whether I'm back from training or meetings or expeditions," she starts. Levi wheels himself forward to grab their food from the small kitchen but he attentively listens to each of her words. Seeing that he won't be replying, Petra decides to continue.

"I like coming home to you, Levi. And I'm still devoted to you." Petra nervously says, the redness on her cheeks intensifying. Levi feels his heart thump at her last sentence. He stops what he's doing and looks straight into her amber eyes, the same moment as she reaches out to delicately hold both of his hands. "I'd like to continue doing so... if you'll have me in another way."

Bold as ever is the first thing that fondly came to his mind. He feels emotion start to climb up his throat but he never wavers in staring back at her. The next thing that came to mind wasn't exactly a thought, and the answer leaves his mouth with a certainty he didn't know he had.

"Okay," he quietly replies. Not much of a talker, as usual. Still, his sure answer was quite a surprise to the both of them.

Was it loneliness? That fear that he'd most likely die alone because of his automatic ability to push people away? Maybe it's some deep hidden desire to live a domestic life with someone—something that he allowed himself to fleetingly dream of while he was still in that underground hellhole—that he has since accepted wouldn't be in his future.

Until now.

He and Petra decided to have a shotgun wedding that same afternoon.

[lenacker]

To Raise an Eaglet

Kuchel and Levi’s life in my Meet The Ackermans Modern! Rivetra AU

This is my longest work yet, Word count : 2654 words

"So you're not coming here for Christmas?" Kuchel holds her phone to her ear with her shoulder, while cutting the vegetables on the cutting board. She was preparing some special stew from her beloved son’s cute, little family.

"No, I’m working on a very important case, Mom. I.."

"Wait, wait," Kuchel wiped her hands to her apron, re-do her ponytail, and now holding her phone with her hand, meanwhile the other was on her hips. "don't say you're not even coming home to Petra for Christmas Eve? For fuck's sake Lev, that's intolerable! That’s your very own birthday! Don't put your work before your family! If they're gone then who are you working for?! What's the use of money when you have no one to spend it with? Seriously, I don't remember raising a man that's ........" 

Levi took a deep breath, putting his phone on the desk while his mom kept rambling here and there. He loves her so much, but she always talks too much for her own good. Sometimes he even wondered how they share the same genes with the difference between their amount of words they can say in one breath.

When he put the phone back to his ear, he didn't hear the nag of his mother. Instead, the woman he heard since he remembered sounds like she's on the verge of tears.

"..... but I guess it can't be helped, huh? It's okay then, it doesn't like I've prepared anything, anyway. Say hi to Petra and the boys for me."

Kuchel sighed, pushing herself with her hands against the countertop, and looked to the ceiling to prevent her tears from falling. Why is she crying, anyway? It's not going to be her first alone Christmas! She spent plenty of them alone, trembling from the cold (and starvation if there are not enough customers in the brothel). 

Until one Christmas when she’s 20, she got a great gift she never even dared to imagine, a beautiful, little bundle of joy she named Levi. He came with such unbearable pain, blood, and tears but the moment she heard him scream and laid her eyes on him, no, even from the first time she felt her baby's move, she knows she wouldn't be alone anymore. 

I'm gonna protect you, she whispered while cradling Levi's tiny head against her chest, tears streaming from her tired eyes, We’ll live a better life together.

Life felt less ugly for a while. She had to hide her baby whenever a customer came, but it gets less lonely with a cute baby looking at you with such wonderful blue eyes. She hopes he doesn't grow up so he won't understand what kind of world they live in.

But of course, he grows. And in the process, Kuchel saw how unfit the environment they're in for a child's development. She saw how Levi started to laugh less, his skin pale and almost translucent. He stopped saying 'I love you' back when he's around four, instead, he would just hug her silently. He stopped moving when he had to hide from her customers in the tiny cupboard, not moving an inch. Not making any sound. It made her worried sick, she couldn't see if he's ok from the bed. Can he breathe properly? Is it normal for a 4 years old boy to stay still for hours?

At the age of six, he looks like a very malnourished four years old vampire-boy. His voice became raspy, his eyes darken, his cheeks sunken. In their city, it's difficult enough to find decent food when you have money, it's even harder when you don't. Sometimes he would give her some crumpled money he somehow finds, tells her to keep it to buy a new house so no scary men come to hurt mommy. That's also the year when she realized she has the disease that has been spreading around. Of fucking course. The disease takes over her entirely. In just a month, she can't even get up from her bed, her body feels like it's on fire. 

And the worst thing, she can't work nor provide food for little Levi. But he never asks for it either. He stayed with her on the bed, caressing her face with his bony hand. Around midday, he would get up, go for an hour or so, and come back with some half-decent food and bruises. Her heart ached every time he put the food inside her mouth, whispering 'please get better, mommy' with his raspy voice. 

She hoped she could ask him where he got the food and the bruises, tell him there's no way she could get better without any treatment, or simply say thank you because she's the one who was supposed to find food, but she couldn't force any sound out of her throat. Sometimes she sheds some tears, which Levi always reacts with a sad 'sorry mommy, I can't find better food'. It hurts even more. Sometimes she wondered if keeping him and bringing him to this cruel world is a mistake. Or if she's being selfish to want a friend in her lonely life.

Then she decided to give up. She kept her eyes shut, feeling how her body struggled to keep her alive. She let the darkness consume her.

-

But she didn't die. She didn't know how much time was passed but when she started to gain consciousness she heard the beeping sound beside her. 

Where am I? Her body does not hurt as much. She opened her eyes and was welcomed with Levi's beautiful blue-grey eyes right in front of her own.

"Levi?"

Wait, did she just talk? Did she really make a clear, understandable word? Well, that’s the first.

She observed her baby's face and noticed how he looks .....more like a normal child. She raised her hand to touch his surprisingly slight chubby cheeks, but he's faster. He moved down to hug -more like crushes, actually- her. He buried his face to her cheeks, mumbling long incoherent words to her cheeks. She felt how her cheeks moisten by his warm tears, how his body trembled, and wondered how she even thought of leaving this precious boy. 

"There's Kenny," Levi said once he calmed down, "he brought Mommy here and taught me to fight" then he proudly showed her some of the moves she recognized as Kenny's with a paring knife.

Kenny was a weird one, he always was. He's her only brother, but he never acted like one nor was there for her. He went to jail for killing some folks when she’s about ten. The last time she saw him was when she's pregnant, and he told him to abort her pregnancy. Of course, she refused, so he left without saying anything. 

"What did you do with Kenny, baby?" Did he teach you anything bad? killing people? He's a little bit psycho. Much to her relief, they just have some knife and martial arts training, then eat whatever food Levi wanted. Well at least her brother gave him food and brought her to the hospital. At least he keeps Levi alive even though he never approves of his presence.

A few weeks later, she's allowed to leave the hospital. She has been unconscious for three months, apparently. Kenny came, he took care of the administration and payment, drove them to a simple-clean apartment, left some money then left without any unnecessary words. They have never been a normal sibling with a heartfelt relationship but still, Kuchel hoped he would say something, where does he live now, why did he come, does he have any wife and kids, anything. 

And so, their brand new life began. In the morning Kuchel would bake some simple cookies, walk Levi to school while giving her cookies to shops along the street then she went to a supermarket near their home, where she worked as a part-time cashier. Then when her shift has finished, she picks her son home and takes her money from the shops. 

Years passed, their life gets better every day. Levi had poor social skills, but he managed to befriend two nice, orphan kids; Farlan and Isabel. Like everything he loves (Kuchel herself, a hand knife he got from Kenny, multi-functional stain remover, etc.) he was a bit overprotective. She had to meet the headmaster more than three times during Levi's first two months because her son 'created a commotion' when the only thing he did was protect his friends' dignity with his fists. She didn't think it's bad. Kuchel always knows Levi is such a kind and sweet boy, he just prefers to show his crude side (from Kenny or their previous place, she's not sure). So instead of telling him to stop fighting bullies, she told him words can hurt more than any blow. And it turned out surprisingly well, he never 'created trouble' again. (Saying hurting words is not considered trouble, how weird).

In the blink of an eye, Levi became a handsome man wearing an immaculate suit, kissing Kuchel's cheek before leaving to go to his office for the umpteenth time. 

"Don't forget to find me a daughter-in-law," she said teasingly, handing him lunch. Her son pretended to look disgusted, then smiled softly "I don't think I can find someone as pretty and amazing as you, Mom. See you!" 

Ever since he turned 30, she kept reminding him that 29 is the average marriage age for a male and he would answer with the answer he just gave her this morning, or "Nobody would want to marry a grumpy, constipated looking man, Mom" or, "I will once I find the right one". 

Kuchel knew her son was admired by many (he always bring home at least two bags of chocolates on Valentine's Day), he's good-looking (not that tall due to the malnutrition in his early years, but still, even the old lady next-door had mentioned that he's hot). His salary as a detective at the Criminal Investigation Department is high enough to afford both of them that he forced her to quit working and enjoy life. But she's as stubborn as he is, so she sneakily still bakes some cookies and sells them to a bakery far enough from his office. 

About two hours later, right as her oven timer rings, the front door of their apartment opened, revealing a furious Levi. He only wears his shirt and trousers, the suit he initially wears this morning in his hands. Thankfully he didn't notice the freshly baked cookies because he’s too busy muttering curses angrily, something about an airheaded, bitchy woman. 

Woman? Well, that’s interesting. Kuchel couldn’t recall when’s the last time her son mentioned anything about women (never). Aside from Isabel and Hange 'shitty-four eyes’, that is. She raised one of her eyebrows, wondering if this could be the beginning of the hater-into-lover relationship she often watches at Korean dramas. 

“Oh, you’re home early. Something happened?” she asked as neutral as possible despite her giddiness, leaning against the doorframe of Levi’s bedroom. He was buttoning his white shirt, annoyance still clear on his face. However, he forced a grin. 

“Nothing, Mom. Just a friend of Hange’s. She smeared some cake cream on my suit. Don’t know what she’s thinking.” Kuchel nodded understandingly, what a daring girl to do that.

“Is she pretty?” She asked once more, already imagining a scheme upon how they would fall madly in love. 

Her son looks surprised, or somehow like someone who just remembers he forgot something important. He took his tie and walked to her, letting his mother tie it around his collar. (She secretly appreciates how he let her do it, despite knowing how to do it himself. It makes her feel needed) While she ties the red garment, Levi looks intensely to her eyes and mumbles, “ShehasbigeyeswiththesamecolorasyousoIguess.…”

Throughout the years, Kuchel noticed that despite being sweet and kind (to her, at least), her son has difficulties showing feelings he deemed ‘bad’ or maybe ‘weird’. He usually mumbles lengthy sentences that she learned to interpret. Like that time when one of her customers hurt her, 4 years old Levi tried to wash the blood and mumbles how he wanna be stronger and hurt the man back, and how he loves his mother. Or when she woke up in the hospital. Or when everybody in his class praises him for shaving his head when one of his classmates had cancer. Or every time he presented her with a bunch of flowers on Mother's Day. That habit is still there, evidently. 

She simply smiled, deciding to not tease him any further. She patted his chest, telling him to go back to his office, and let the topic go. 

But apparently, the Hange’s airheaded friend story doesn’t stop there.

About a month later, Levi went to watch a musical titled Hamilton with Hange. He always likes musical shows, mainly for the elaborate choreography. She didn’t expect her son to get home so late, and grumpier than ever. She asked him why, but he dismissed her. She didn’t need to wonder for long, because Hange called her (it’s not even a rare occurrence, they’re so close that they often call her randomly in the middle of the night). 

"I tried to set him with my roommate," they said, "Petra is a very sweet girl, not to mention that she's clean and pretty short. She's pretty much perfect for him. I tried to push them into the stuck-in-the-elevator scenario, but I guess Levi ended up saying the wrong thing that Petra smeared her cake -that I ordered- to him. Of course, I didn’t just give up. So, I ordered two Hamilton tickets -it was soo expensive and hard to find!- anyway, I gave one to Levi and another to Petra, and pretend that I'm the one who'll go with them" They talked in a very Hange way, fast and passionate. They sounded really proud of their plan.  “Do you want to meet her too? I bet you two will connect instantly, Imma send you her bakery’s location, how’s that?”

So, the next day Kuchel visited Petra’s bakery and immediately fell in love. She’s like….a sun personified. Like, even her entire appearance was so bright and fun. Her hair was shoulder-length wavy hair, the root was strawberry blonde and it got lighter that the tip was light blonde. Her eyes are big, round, sparkling light brown eyes, and freckles peppered her cute face. She wore an ankle-length light yellow sundress with small blue flower patterns that complement her pale skin perfectly. She talked with a lot of hand motions, and she slips her hair behind her right ears every once in a while.

Yes, this one’s definitely perfect for her Levi.

-

December 22, 5 days after that (surprisingly) emotional phone call. Kuchel woke up to the loud sound of her doorbell. Seriously, the shameless guest was ringing the bell like some kind of madman in the middle of the night. Wait, what if that's a real madman? 

Ah, screw that, she thought sleepily, whoever that is they definitely need to be taught some lesson. She got off her bed, picked a frying pan from the kitchen, and then opened her door.

It's not a shameless nor mad man. 

In front of her door, Leo was sitting on Levi's shoulders while still ringing the bell vigorously with a big grin. Beside him, Petra was fixing her hold to Liam, while the ginger-haired toddler calmly eats his lollipop.

"Gran-Gran!" Leo greeted (gosh, that boy has too much energy for his own good), while his little brother just waved his hand that wasn't holding the lolly. 

Kuchel put down her frying pan, "Hey, guys! Come in!" 

She moved to the side, letting the little family inside. Leo immediately ran off to his favorite playing spot, the cabinet under the stairs. His brother tottered sleepily behind him.  

“So…...what happened to the case?”, she asked with as much sarcasm as possible, while locking the front door again, “Finally realizing your family’s more important than some ruthless murderer?”

A/N : I love Hamilton.

[sardonyxie]

So I finally found a title for the modern AU series I’m writing stuff for: Hockey Pucks and Cricuts! Since it’s focused on Levi squad and Rivetra, I thought it fit the setting and yeah here it is.

The Levi squad edition was edited and I just added Miche/Mike’s group last night. You can find it on my blog by looking for the HPC tag! 

Little bonus under the cut! :)

There are so many group chats for the whole gang and they manage to keep up with everything. There’s one for each quintet: United Nation, Mario Without Mario, Hormones Overload. There’s also one for the girls and the Single Guys and a secret one including only Erwin, Levi, Hange, and Miche/Mike. 

UN includes: Kangaroo: Eld Sauerkraut: Gunther Haggis: Oruo Streusel: Petra Criss: Levi (Roughly means Jesus Christ in French (Canada); used as a swear word; pronounced: [ˈkʁɪs])

MWM is basically everyone’s starting character so  Toad: Miche/Mike Yoshi: Nanaba  Waluigi: Gelgar Peach: Henning Bowser: Lynne  HO is a preview for Hange and their dorks but here’s what I had in mind:  Cortisol: Hange Serotonin: Moblit Dopamine: Nina Melatonin: Keiji Oxytocin: Abel “Goggles” as we know him 

Also here’s a sneak peak for the OS that’s to come. Can you guess what’s going to happen? 

“It’s only food Petra. I’ll go get some back later. Now eat your breakfast and let me finish my coffee. It’s way too early for you two to be fighting.” It was all it took for Petra to stop complaining and for the stupid monkey to act all smug.

“I see you Zeke, stop trying to rile her up. You know how this is going to end, and I’m not asking your father to fix you up.” 

That’s it for now! I think about this AU so much that I’m falling behind my Math Didactics class, so I’ll have to leave it be for a couple days (or not we’ll see) 😬

[animeaesthtic]

Fate

Rivetra Weekend 2019 ||

I originally posted the first part of this fic to my main blog but figured I would merge both to keep things simple. Sorry for any confusion!

This story takes place before the Battle of Trost arc

Words: 2450

_______________________

“Petra, are you even listening to me?”

“Hmm?” Her gaze flickered back to the agitated man standing in front of her. “Oh give it a rest Oluo. I don’t need to listen to you because you’ve already told me this a hundred times.”

“You’re too obvious Petra. You can’t just say and do whatever pops into your little head. Not when it comes to him.”

“Isn’t it our job to protect people?”

“Civilians, yes. Your captain? No.”

“Shove it. Besides, all I did was help him out with a titan. That is what I’m good at after all. ”

“You almost never help me when we’re in the field…”

“Yeah well, maybe I would if you learned to behave Oluo.” Pushing past him she made her way down the hill to the stables. It was her turn to tend to the horses and give their stalls a deep cleaning. A job she actually tended to enjoy, considering the horses weren’t insolent jerks who felt compelled to voice their opinions every five seconds. They couldn’t talk at all.

“I’m on stable duty tonight. Save me some dinner and maybe I’ll forgive you.” she tossed over her shoulder.

_______________________

“Hello everyone.” She spoke softly as she entered the stables. There were only six horses currently, so she figured the job would take a couple of hours tops. “Shall we get some fresh air?”

A chorus of neighs came in response and she laughed, leading each one out to the small pasture for them to graze. The rest of the squad always gave her shit for allowing herself to grow attached to the horses. As far as she knew, she was the only one who used her spare time to feed them apples or give them a quick scratch behind the ear. To the men, they were tools; but even if that were true, those ‘tools’ kept them from becoming titan food. So for now she would continue to care for them and the rest of her squad could suck it.

Suck it? A loud groan escaped her lips. When did she get such a vulgar mouth? Being the only woman was clearly beginning to take its toll. It was a constant hassel to keep her cursing to a minimum these days. Her vocabulary was starting to mainly consist of a lengthy list of many impolite responses. Some of which, caused her cheeks to glow red just thinking about it. Lucky for her, she had been successful at keeping her tasteless new habit hidden from her captain. Even though Eld and Gunther had threatened to tell a couple of times… but so far, so good.

After returning the horses to their clean stalls, she made her way back up the hill towards the main quarters they had recently moved to. It was nice, much nicer than the previous set of apartments they had been forced to share with a few other military branches, but as Levi had warned her “It’s only temporary.”

Temporary.

A word that once terrified her, now seemed to pull her soul from its constant state of panic. There was comfort in knowing that almost everything in her life was temporary. The pain and fear- the loss- it was all temporary.

And in a world as temporary as theirs, the scariest thing was to think that something would last forever.

Like death.

Yeah, like that. Nothing is more permanent than that.

She shook her head violently as if the thoughts could be thrown from her mind. What was she thinking about before? Oh right, their new living quarters. They weren’t located too far from the survey corps current headquarters. Only about a twenty minute ride really, but the distance was more than enough for her. Over the last year, the survey corps had begun to up it’s recruitment; making their already small space even smaller. Meaning there was never any peace or privacy. And after walking in on her fourth hookup, she had made sure to confine herself to her room after dark. As interesting as it was to know who was sleeping around with who, she did not want to actually see it. So when the announcement was made that the special team would be moving house, she was more than happy about it. She could do things here that she would never have dreamed of doing before. Like now, after sweating over hay and dirt for more than an hour she could utilize the outdoor shower and wash the traces of her work from her body.

Well, it’s not exactly a shower. More like a shower head conveniently placed on the side of the house most likely meant for spraying off tools or whatever. But, no one on the team seemed to have noticed it within the last month and so it was now unofficially hers. Perfect for washing away the dirt, sweat, and horse hair she had managed to collect. Sure, it was bold to strip out in the open but it was dark and she was safe. That was the real reason she chose to skip dinner on her cleaning days. By the time she was done with her chores, it was late and everyone was tucked away in their rooms. She was alone, and she made sure to make use of that precious time. Besides, there was no way in hell she would track hay and manure through the clean house. She could already see the disapproving scowl of her captain now.

Dropping her sweat soaked clothes to the ground, she turned the rusted spout allowing for a steady stream of cool water to flow out. The roughness of it helped massage her aching muscles and she took her time rinsing off.

She couldn’t help the satisfied grin that spread across her face as she wrapped herself in a towel and made her way to the door. It was a wonderful feeling to be able to leave the scents of the outdoors where they belonged.

“Out for a midnight stroll, Ral?”

The deadpanned voiced called out to her as she slipped through the open door, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. “Captain! I was just-”

Levi sat back further in his chair, causing the front legs to lift from the ground. A smug look plastered across his face. “No need for excuses. I suppose we all have our secrets.”

Petra dropped her gaze in an attempt to hide her face. She was sure her cheeks were ablaze. “I was just finishing with the stables, Sir.”

He lifted an eyebrow, his expression seeming only slightly interested. “I didn’t realize you preferred to clean like that.” He motioned towards her small towel, causing her entire body to grow red in embarrassment.

“You hate dirt.” She blurted out.

“I do.”

“I’m clean.”

“You are.”

She tried to regain her external composure as best she could. Internally- she was kicking herself. “I’m clean” Is that the best you could come up with. Nice job, you’re officially an ass Ral.

“I’m sorry, Captain. I didn’t expect anyone to be up.”

“Drop the formalities, Petra. There’s no one here and you’re in a towel. ‘Captain’ just doesn’t seem to fit the current situation. Why don’t you go change into something that covers a little more.”

“Yeah sure.” she squeaked while carefully maneuvering around him and out of the room. She returned a few moments later and sat down across the table from him.

“Tea?”

She nodded silently still keeping her gaze turned down.

“Not talkative tonight, are we?”

“You’re not exactly the talking type, Sir.” Her eyes grew wide before apologizing quickly at her boldness.

He simply ignored her. “And I didn’t see you as being the type to sneak around at odd hours of the night. I guess we were both wrong.”

Taking a gulp of her tea she attempted to steer the conversation away from her. “What are you doing up so late anyway?”

“I don’t sleep much.”

She knew that. Everyone knew that.

“And you just happened to be in the mood for tea?”

“Pretty much. It seems I have good timing, too.” He shot back at her.

“I was with the horses.” She mumbled into her cup.

“Hn. I’m sure you were.”

Was he…. “Are you teasing me, Sir?” she asked carefully.

“It’s Levi, Petra. And yes I am.”

She watched as he swirled the spoon in his cup idily. “You’re full of surprises tonight… Levi” She tested out using his name casually. It was strange to say the least. She caught his gaze and the blush returned to her face.

“And you’re awfully…red tonight, Ral.”

She laughed then, moving her hands to rub her burning cheeks. “You know you’re not supposed to point it out.”

“Sorry. I’m not as good at teasing as Oluo is.”

Oluo isn’t good at anything.

“What was that face for?”

“It was nothing. Oluo isn’t good at teasing is all.”

“So he’s not your type then.”

She could feel her face drop and she began to stammer once again. “M-My what?”

An amused look spread over his usually stern features. Was he enjoying her visible fall from grace? She had worked so hard on the cool and collected persona she used around him, only to have it completely unraveled in a matter of minutes.

“Your type, Ral. You do have one don’t you?”

“I don’t know.” of course she knew. “Maybe I do.” she definitely did.

“Well, what is it then? Not a horse I hope.”

“What! No- I mean I do have one but I’m not telling you what it is! Unless… you tell me yours first.” She moved to grab her cup again, needing something in her hands to keep them steady.

“You want to know my type?”

“Yes. I’m…curious is all.”

He leaned forward, sitting the chairs front legs back on the ground. “Alright. I’d say… Tall.”

Not me.

“What was that look for?”

She cursed herself for wearing her emotions so visibly and cleared her throat before sitting the now empty cup down. “I’m not tall.”

“And I’m not a horse.” He stood then and grabbed the cup gently from her hands, moving to put them in the sink. “Looks like we’ll both have to settle.”

_______________________

Levi watched as a range of various emotions flashed across her face.

Confusion, shock, embarrassment.

And one more he couldn’t quite figure out. Either way her reaction to his words pleased him for some reason. It was easy to say the things he regularly thought in his mind out loud to her when they were alone; but it was unnerving to him as well. Control was something he never struggled with, especially not in a romantic way. He never fought with himself over feelings of intimacy or lust towards other women. When he was younger he had eventually given in and slept with one just to have the burden of his virginity dealt with; but once the deed was done he was content with it not happening again. Physical attraction alone was not enough to make him throw caution to the wind, it would take more. Even though he admittedly didn’t know what that was. All he knew was that she had it; and he had known since the day he met her. It wasn’t love at first sight, because that doesn’t exist anyway. It was more like a sort of familiarity between them. When he met her it was as if he had already known her for years, but he would never admit that.

He finished drying the cups and sat them by the edge of the sink to be put away later. Petra was still staring at him with the mix of emotions lining her soft features. Her large doe eyes silently begging him for an explanation and he wondered if he could even give her one.

“If there’s something you want to ask me, ask it.”

Her lashes fluttered and her usually pouty lips tightened into a thin line. “Are you teasing me again Levi?”

“I wouldn’t tease about this Petra. You know that.” Crossing his arms, he pressed his back into the counter behind him. ”You seem confused.”

“That’s because I am.” she hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. “I don’t know what to think. Why are you saying this now?”

He shrugged. “Did you have a better time in mind?”

“No-”

“I’m only saying that the feelings are mutual, Ral. Don’t overthink it.” He moved over to wear she was still sitting and offered her a hand, which she took after a moment of contemplation. “None of us have enough time to worry about things that don’t really matter.”

“Are you saying that this doesn’t matter?”

“What happens between us does. But all of those other things you’re worrying about don’t.”

He knew what she was focusing on even without her having tell him. Petra was one to give an immense amount of thought to the most minuscule of things. She was dissecting problems of the future before they even existed.

What would happen next? What would their squad think? What would the commander do if he found out?

It was written all over her lovely face.

Almost as if she could read his thoughts she ran her tongue over her lips and lifted her chin so that she was level with his eyes. “So what happens now?”

What was going to happen now?

He didn’t know. He had just confessed his feelings of attraction towards her and he knew she returned them. But there was something keeping him from moving closer to her. Fear? There was nothing that scared him more than having her. Having someone meant there would be something to miss when they left; and you can’t miss what you never had. But he knew it was only a matter of time before they found themselves alone together- tangled in a messy embrace. What you love is your fate. His mother had told him that once and he had never believed it until now.

So he decided to be honest with her since there was no point in dancing around what was bound to happen eventually. “I don’t know what happens next, Petra. I’m not sure if that’s something I even want to think about right now.”

She hummed softly as she nodded her head in understanding. “Then we’ll worry about it later. Goodnight, Captain.” Her eyes sparkled and she spun to leave, a small gust of air blowing her scent back towards him. Lavender and honey. He had often wondered if it was the shampoo she used that made her smell that way or perhaps it was just her.

What you love is your fate.

And Petra Ral was his.

[pickalilywrites]

A present for my friend Silver on FFNet who graduated a month and a half ago 💖 Part one here. 

Be Still My Heart

Rivetra. Jane Eyre AU. 

2833 words. 

Petra does not believe herself to be very good of an actress. Whenever her master comes, she must bite her lip to keep from gasping in surprise for it seems he’s always popping up behind her when she least expects it, startling her for more reasons than he knows. He teases her, joking that she’s faint-hearted, and she can only laugh weakly in response, hoping that he does not suspect how fake her smile is. Even her peers have begun to suspect that she’s behaving more oddly than usual, but their theories are so far off that she never bothers to correct them, believing that it is better for them to be wrong than to ever find out what she’s up to. She bites her tongue and smiles at them when they tease her about her relationship to the master even though the talk of it makes her stomach turn and her head feel light. She bears with it though, thinking that she can get out of this soon if she just behaves like she did before.

She doesn’t know how she acted before all this though. She cannot fathom how she had ever thought her master charming or gentlemanly. She doesn’t even see how she could find him handsome at all when his smile makes her shudder because she remembers how it looked in the dark, sinister and disturbing but most of all empty of any true feeling. To think that she had once found his face attractive! She does her best not to look at him, keeping her eyes on the floor instead whenever he happens to be in the same room as him. It seems that he doesn’t notice this very much, possibly attributing it to her bashful behavior which might have been heightened further by the teasing of the other servants around her. It’s good that he believes this, she thinks, and yet it’s torture for her for it seems that he’s always hovering about her now, whispering playfully in her ear and brushing her shoulders when they come close to each other. She has to try her best not to pull away from him too suddenly, fearing that it might reveal her true feelings towards him, and she can only laugh nervously before making an excuse to hurry off and do another chore of some sort. It seems she can never get away quickly enough though.

It is not her forced laughter or the averted gaze that she believes will give her away in the end though. It is her beating heart, which threatens to beat itself out of her chest whenever Master Walcott is near. At times she finds herself placing her hand above her chest, holding her breath as she prays that he doesn’t hear the thumping of her heart. If he does, she’s surely done for. He must be deaf though because he never does. Instead, smiling at her and asking her if she is alright because she’s holding her breath. It is only then that she remembers to breathe, letting out the breath she’s been holding in for so long, and her cheeks flush as she assures him that she’s fine and that it is kind of him to worry about her so much.

She should not be so surprised that Auruo is the one that suspects her of being any different. After all, he is her closest companion in this household. It is just that his theory for her being strange than usual is so scandalous that she nearly chokes on her biscuit.

“Excuse me?” Petra coughs, beating her chest and trying her best to dislodge the piece of bread stuck in her throat. When it seems she is done choking, she looks over at him, still not sure if she’s heard him correctly. “What did you say?”

“I asked if you were pregnant,” Auruo says, his voice low so that no one can overhear them. He looks around, but they are the only two people in the kitchen in this time of night. Everyone else has gone to bed. “You must admit that you’ve been acting unusual lately, Petra. You are not yourself. You look frightened most days and you look as if you are hiding something. It also seems that your appetite is not what it had been before. You pick at your food, eating only a few bites, but I see you sneak food out in your pockets after meals and then even more after everyone is asleep when your appetite can surely be satiated with what you have been given. So tell me in truth, you are surely not with child, are you? Not with Master Walcott’s child or any other man’s?”

She is simultaneously amused and disgusted with this assumption. However, she finds his earnest expression too sweet to be mad at him and says gently, “No, not at all. I have just been feeling unwell as of late, but your concern is deeply appreciated.”

“It is true you are only sick then?” Auruo says suspiciously. He doesn’t believe her, and his brows are knitted in concern. They are dear friends, have been ever since Petra had begun working there, and he cannot fathom what secret she could hold that she would need to keep things hidden from him. “Tell me truly, Petra, because I have been worrying myself sick thinking about what could trouble you so. Even when you are feeling ill, you are not nearly as strange as this. It seems the smallest things startle you and I hear you wandering in the night sometimes. If there is anything at all that bothers you, you will tell me, won’t you?”

She had never known true friendship until she had met Auruo. She had first thought him pompous and arrogant, but he only pretended to be, and she found that such characteristics hid the truly kind and caring person he was on the inside. The men that worked at the manor she found to be vapid and boring, only interested in bragging about how much money they make at the manor and the luxuries they can afford with their high pay. The women were similar, discussing various dresses and fabrics and jewelry they could buy. They simply laughed whenever Petra would speak of how grand Rosewood was compared to her previous workplaces, they laughed and told her she was so quaint and charming. Auruo, however, listened with a careful ear and even remembered details about her silly childhood tales, never turning his head even if the story became sad and somber. He was kind and sweet and was the first person to treat her like a real person rather than an unrefined governess who didn’t know anything about the lavish life at Rosewood. Thus, she finds it nearly impossible to lie to him like this, but she knows she must because it’s dangerous to allow him to discover any inkling of the truth.

She reaches across the table to grasp his hand. “You are the person I trust most in the world,” Petra tells him. She jokes with him a lot, teases him about his faults and idiosyncrasies, but she wants him to know that she is not jesting when she compliments him. “What I am going through is not something you should involve yourself with. I ask that you not question me any further for it will break my heart to refuse you, Auruo. If I could tell you anything at all, I would, but it is far too risky. Be satisfied to know that I am alright despite my strange behavior and help me in tricking others into believing nothing peculiar is happening.”

He opens his mouth but realizes that there is nothing he can say that will make her change her mind. In fact, she would probably get angry at him if he were to continue pressing her. He must trust her as much as she trusts him. Finally, he asks, “You will let me know if I can do anything at all for you, won’t you? You needn’t even tell me the reason. Just tell me if you ever need an ally, and I will do everything in my power to assist you.”

His serious tone almost makes her laugh, but she doesn’t want to hurt his feelings. She smiles at her dear friend and tells him, “I will not hesitate to let you know.” She looks at the sweet pastry he has still left on his plate and at her half-eaten one that she had meant to save for later. She asks, “Would it be too troublesome to ask you for your dessert? The chef is beginning to suspect one of the maids of pilfering food from the kitchens and I would hate to be caught.”

Auruo looks cross for a second and Petra thinks that perhaps he’s going back on his word. It is only when he shuts his mouth and begins to pout that she realizes that he’s unhappy at being asked to give up his dessert without being given a reason. She has to bite her lip to keep from giggling.

“Here,” he says, shoving the pastry at her. He has to turn his head, looking away from it so that he doesn’t change his mind. “I didn’t think you would ask for my help so soon.”

Petra smiles, wrapping the little tart up carefully in her handkerchief before putting it in the pocket of her skirt. She gets up from her seat to kiss him sweetly atop his head. “I will bake you something in return for this although I cannot promise that it will be as good as this.”

“Then bake me ten more in its place and I will be satisfied,” Auruo grumbles, but she knows he’ll be content even if she just bakes him one.

She has made this trip a dozen times now, traversing along the long dark halls of Rosewood in the middle of the night and creeping up the attic. Still, the silence of the house scares her for it makes the sound of her heart seem so much louder. It seems louder, she thinks, than even the quiet tiptoe of her footsteps, and she’s sure that her heartbeat will wake someone and give her away in the end. She is always surprised when it never does and finds that her heart steadies itself once she finally makes it up the steps to the attic, the door shut softly behind her.

“I have more food for you,” she says softly to the man tied to the corner of the room. She steps there carefully, avoiding any of the creaking floorboards.

“It’s not the same as yesterday, is it?” the man asks. He allows her to untie the ropes that bind him. She’s tied and untied them enough times to remember how to do and undo them without her master noticing a difference. When his hands are free, he rubs at the marks that they leave behind on his wrists, frowning.

Levi Ackerman of the Ackerman family, held hostage here so that Master Walcott can force the wealthy family to give him money for as long as he keeps Levi alive. Her master, depending on the Ackermans to sustain his luxurious lifestyle, allows Levi to live but only barely. When Petra had found him for the first time in the attic, the man’s face was gaunt, pale and thin. He was more like a skeleton than a man. Now that she has come every night to sneak in her leftover meals, he looks a little less scary now. It’s only a little bit more food than he’s normally allowed – although she’s not sure if Master Walcott feeds him at all – but his face looks fuller now and the look in his eye is not nearly as hopeless as it once was. Sometimes, she thinks that he could be handsome if he were just allowed to eat as one should and that there is something kind in him despite all the cruelty he’s faced at the hand of her master.

“Well, I apologize if it’s isn’t to your taste,” she mumbles, retrieving the leftovers she has in her pocket and praying that they haven’t crumbled to bits. She unfolds her handkerchief and presents it to him – a misshapen biscuit with a tiny bit of butter on it, a morsel of the beef served at dinner, and the little pastries that she had managed to ask of Auruo. Looking at it, she feels ashamed at being unable to provide him with a full meal. “I’m sorry that this is so little.”

“Do not apologize,” he tells her, taking the poor excuse of a meal from her. His face is bruised and his limbs have scars and scabs all around them, but he’s surprisingly gentle in his touch. He picks up the biscuit, eating it all in only a few bites. “This is far better than what Walcott has provided me with. I am grateful that he is not selfish when feeding his servants.”

His words are meant to be kind, but they only make her feel guiltier at her inability to do anything for him when she’s being paid and fed so well at Rosewood. It’s strange to know this horrible side of her master when he’s the one giving her a place to sleep and food to eat, but she knows it’s only one part of him. The other part of him is cruel and unforgivable. She wonders what Levi Ackerman thinks of her betraying her master.

“The tart is from Auruo,” Petra tells him. She curls up her legs beneath her chin, only her feet peeking out beneath her gown. She wraps her arms around her legs, resting her chin on her knees. “I am so lucky to have a friend as kind as he.”

“Hm,” Levi responds. He looks at her carefully, not taking his eyes off her even as he licks a crumb from his thumb. “Are you good friends?”

“Oh, yes,” Petra says immediately, but she feels embarrassed right after. How strange it is to be discussing such things with him even though he is nearly a stranger to her. She doesn’t want him to misunderstand either, and so she finds herself stumbling on her words as she explains, “He’s the first friend I’ve made at Rosewood and he’s ever so kind as to help me without asking me anything.”

“Your good friend?” Levi asks. Although he’s asked her this question, he seems to be more interested in the little stitches in her handkerchief than her answer.

“Yes,” Petra says softly. “Possibly my dearest friend at Rosewood. I’m sure if you were ever to meet him you’d think him silly, and he is at times, but he is a kind soul underneath all that silliness.”

He doesn’t say anything for a moment. Instead, he folds the handkerchief into little squares before handing it back to her. “Did you know, Miss Ral, that you’re perhaps my closest friend at Rosewood?” he asks her. He says the words strangely as if he’s never had anyone close to him before, but he keeps his eyes steady on her as she reaches for her handkerchief, their fingers brushing.

“Is that so?” she asks, her voice no more than a whisper. She’s grateful for the darkness of the attic. Had there been even a little light, he would surely see the brilliant blush that blooms across her cheeks now.

“It is,” he replies. His cool gray eyes have such a breathtaking intensity to them that she forgets how to breathe for a second. “To be shown such kindness in at a time where I am facing such cruelty, I am truly blessed that a kindred spirit such as yourself found me in this darkness.”

She hears it then, the growing thump, thump, thump of her heart. The sound of it reverberates across the walls, echoing in the quiet of the attic. She places a hand over her breast, hoping to silence it, but it only beats louder, harder, bruising her chest. She’s sure that it’s about to burst, and she bites her lip, praying that it will quiet itself soon. It’s strange because it has never beat like this before, threatening to burst out of her and reveal its presence to him. Even stranger is that she cannot stop it from beating or even slow it down no matter how much she tries to empty her mind. It seems that being in his presence makes it speed up senselessly with no sign of stopping. She thinks it will be the death of her.

He watches her closely. “Is something the matter?” he asks her.

“Nothing at all,” she tells him, smiling weakly and hoping that he won’t see through her lie.

“I see,” he says simply, but she can tell he isn’t a fool. He’s far more observant than her master and she fears that he can hear the beating of her heart. Even worse, he may know the reason for it, but he doesn’t say anything more about it and she can only pretend that everything is the same even though her heart continues to beat, the only noise in this otherwise silent house.  

[misserikacourt]

Fantasy/Bruise

Prompt: Day 4, Fantasy/Bruise

Winter Rivetra Week 2018

Modern/High School AU

I won’t apologize for my self-indulgent fluff. I just hope it’s good!

Petra Ral was perhaps the smartest girl in her class. The smartest girl because there was one other student that seemed to outrank her in every way possible. That one other Student was Levi Ackerman.

He always got top marks on tests, knew the answers to every question and, although she knew the answers too and would have been glad to offer them to the rest of the class, Levi was always faster. She thought she might resent him a little bit for it, and she thought that might be why she thought about him constantly. At least that's what she thought at first. She quickly discovered that the reason she always thought about him wasn't that she was jealous or bitter, but because she was actually quite attracted to him.

She wouldn't go as far as to say that she had any...sinful fantasies about him, the fantasies she had about him were sweet and soft and loving, but they were still fantasies all the same, and fantasies that she was sure would never come to fruition. In fact, she was pretty sure he didn't even have a clue who she was, or that she was alive and that she watched him so closely every day trying to figure out a way to speak to him. She was sure of that, that is, until one day she was watching him and he noticed.

He looked peeved, to say the least, that he had caught her staring at him. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to beat her to a pulp for having the audacity to look at him in that way, and she immediately averted her gaze as she realized that fact. She thought she could hear him sighing, even from across the room, a sure sign that he wanted nothing to do with her. Still, she couldn't let herself be disappointed about that fact. She knew that was how it would have to be. She knew that there was no way he would return any kind of affection for her. She was just some nerd in his class, some girl that was too ordinary and plain for him to even entertain the thought of speaking to. She knew all of this and yet, it hurt just the same to see that it was all true.

Once their class was over she headed toward the cafeteria. Maybe if she could just get something to eat it would make her feel better about the situation. It was only a crush, after all, and something she was sure she would be able to get over eventually. It wasn't like she'd ever actually talked to him, anyway. It wasn't like she'd expected anything more than this. She'd never even seen Levi take interest in any of the other girls in their class. She was sure he was just too focused on his studies, trying to get into a good university after their third year ended, but it still left an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach knowing that her suspicions about her interest in him had been true.

“Who would ever be interested in a girl as boring as me, anyway?” Petra asked herself under her breath as she walked, head down, through the halls trying to get to the cafeteria. Suddenly, she crashed into someone that sent her reeling back. She would have fallen if a strong hand hadn't reached out and grabbed her arm to steady her.

“I-I'm so sorry, I should have been paying more attention to—” She stopped her sentence short when she saw exactly who she'd crashed into. Who was holding onto her arm to steady her as she collected herself.

“You should watch where you're going when you walk through the halls. You could have hurt yourself.” Levi's voice broke through the fog of her mind and brought her back to reality. He was touching her, standing close to her, speaking to her, and she couldn't think of a single word to say to him in return. “Where are you in such a hurry to get to, anyway?”

“Um, the...cafeteria,” She answered shakily, swallowing hard as she tried to overcome her embarrassment.

“I'll walk with you to make sure that you don't run into anyone else.”

“Oh, you don't have to, I'm sure you're busy and you probably have friends that you wanted to meet up with. I'll be fine, really, I'll pay attention to where I'm going.” Her words came out fast and before she could even really understand why she was saying them. Why was she turning him down? He'd just offered to walk with her to the cafeteria, the boy that she'd been obsessing over for more than half of the school year wanted to walk with her and she couldn't even control her anxiety enough to let him.

“No one is waiting for me. I'd just be eating alone anyway, so I might as well stick with you and make sure you don't hurt yourself.” He turned and started walking toward the cafeteria and Petra only took a moment to catch up to him and walk at his side.

She couldn't believe it! Just this morning she was convinced that Levi wanted nothing to do with her, that he was annoyed at the thought of her even looking at him, and now they were going to eat lunch together. She was sure that this was the first time that they'd even spoken to each other, and now she was about to eat lunch with him. She wondered briefly if she would be able to even keep up a conversation with him during their lunch break, but decided that she would cross that bridge when she came to it. Right now she was just happy to be in his company.

Her thoughts were buzzing until they sat down together and she realized that the only thing Levi had for his lunch was a thermos that seemed to be full of tea. She suddenly felt rude with the plate of food that she had sitting in front of her while all he had was a thermos full of tea. Could he not afford a proper lunch? Would she be rude for eating in front of him? Before she thought about it the words were spilling out of her mouth.

“Is that all you're going to have?” She asked, suddenly feeling like she was out of line when he looked up at her, a scowl on his face.

“I don't usually eat lunch. Tea is fine for me during the day. Who would want to eat the shit that they serve here anyway?” He replied and she suddenly felt wrong for even asking the question.

“Oh,” She replied, feeling somewhat embarrassed that she, herself, was eating the lunch that the school provided. It seemed that Levi realized what he'd implied and, with a roll of his eyes, he changed the subject.

“Anyway, why were you staring at me earlier?” He asked his expression devoid of any emotion that would let Petra know what he might be thinking.

“I...umm...I must have spaced out or something. I didn't realize where I was looking. I'm so sorry if I made you feel strange or anything like that.” Petra tried her best to rush through her explanation in a believable manner, but she had the feeling that Levi wasn't buying it.

“I don't think that's the reason,” He answered. Just as she'd thought, she wasn't the least bit convincing. Now she would have to tell him the real reason she'd been caught staring at him, and she wasn't sure that she was ready for the rejection that would follow.

“I...I don't know what you're talking about.” She looked away but she could feel his gaze on her, boring holes through her skull as he analyzed every little word she said.

“You seemed pretty aware that you were looking at me. You were smiling.”

“I was?” She asked and she felt the blush spread across her face as she realized that there was no easy way out of this. Had he asked her to have lunch with him just to torture her with some strange interrogation about why she was looking at him?

“Yeah, you were,” he said, sipping his tea. “So why were you staring at me and smiling?”

“I...” Petra paused. It seemed that she was stuck in this incredibly awkward situation. She thought for a moment that she might just run away and hide somewhere until lunch was over, but she knew that wouldn't solve any of the problems she was now faced with. Even if she did run away, she had nearly every class with Levi and would undoubtedly see him again before the end of the day.

“Go on...” He prompted, an annoyed expression on his face as he set his tea back down on the table.

“I...I just...” Petra stuttered but she was determined to get through this. It was her only option at this point. “I just think you're really cool and smart and...handsome...I can't help but glance every now and then because I've wanted to get to know you for a while now, but you just seem so...”

“Unapproachable? Angry? Rude?” Levi asked, but Petra didn't want to agree with any of those options, no matter how true they may be.

“Maybe unapproachable. At least a little bit.” She agreed, but she continued. “But not either of those other things. You just seem like someone that values your time. I didn't want to waste any of it with some silly pleasantries or a failed attempt at trying to be friends, that's all.”

“My time is valuable.” Levi looked away for a moment as if he was gathering his thoughts, pushing himself to say something that he'd kept hidden. “It isn't too valuable for you, though.”

“W-what?” Petra was so stunned that she dropped her fork and stared at him with wide eyes. What was he saying? Was he admitting that he wanted to spend time with her? This was too good to be true.

“I've noticed you too. In class, I mean. You seem intelligent and kind. I still don't know why a person like you would want to get to know a person like me better, but I wouldn't...hate that.”

“You wouldn't?”

“Of course not.” He snapped but dialed back his tone. “I'm just not used to people wanting to get to know me. Like I said, I tend to come off as rude to most people, so they don't really gravitate toward me.”

“Well, I'd be honored to be your friend, if that's what you want.” Petra smiled and Levi smiled back for only a moment.

“There's one other thing,” He said suddenly, toying with the thermos that he'd now closed again. “You said something earlier that I was surprised by.”

“What's that?” Petra was worried only for a moment, but she learned quickly that she should have stayed that way.

“You said you think I'm handsome, didn't you?”

“Oh...well, I...I did but...” She stumbled her way through her partial sentence before she was interrupted again.

“Because I think you're beautiful.”

“You...what?” She asked, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as she struggled to continue to breathe. Out of all of the fantasies she'd had about him, this had never been one of them. Kissing, holding hands, just being together, sure. Those were all par for the course of a crush for her, but having him just come out and admit that he thought she was beautiful, that was something she had never even imagined, and so, she didn't have a prepared response for it.

“Sorry that was probably weird of me to say but...it's true,” He said, quickly standing and gathering his thermos. “Do you want to go outside with me for the rest of our lunch break? I don't like being indoors all day.”

“S-sure,” Petra stuttered. She hadn't finished her lunch but she was sure she wouldn't be able to now. Her stomach was too full of butterflies to eat anything else. She dumped her tray and followed him out of the cafeteria and out the doors of the school. No one else seemed to be outside, at least not on the side of the school where he'd taken her, which meant that they were completely alone. Together. Petra wasn't sure if she could continue to keep up a conversation after what he'd just said to her, but she learned quickly that she wouldn't have to.

Suddenly, Levi turned to face her, a certain look in his eyes that sent her heart racing. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, and truthfully she couldn't think clearly herself. She just stared back at him, breathing heavily as she bit her bottom lip. It was a nervous habit that she'd had for as long as she could remember, but apparently, Levi found that it made her more attractive than he'd originally mentioned because in the blink of an eye he'd dropped his thermos to the ground, moved forward, and pushed her up against the wall. This was part of a fantasy that she'd had before. She'd never imagined it going any further than heated kissing, but she wasn't sure how she would handle the real thing.

He was a little more rough with her than she'd imagined he would be, pushing her hard against the wall and pinning one of her hands beside her head with a crushing grip that she wouldn't have thought possible for him to have. She would probably have a bruise around her wrist, maybe even on her shoulder blades, but she didn't care. This was so deliciously sinful for her that she couldn't be bothered with concerns about the marks left behind. Without thinking, her free hand found his hair and wound itself into the strands, holding onto them tightly and earning a bit of a hiss from him in reply. She decided that meant that he enjoyed his affection a little rougher than most and held her grip firmly in place.

When he looked at her there was something in his eyes that she'd never experienced before. Lust? Want? She wasn't sure, but it was there and it was hungry and she was willing to feed it.

Their lips crashed together before she could think about what she was doing, and she briefly thought about what might happen if someone walked out of the school and found them, but she found it hard to care with Levi's hand on her hip, his lips crushed against hers, their bodies pressed together in the sweetest realization of a fantasy that Petra had ever experience.

Then, all too soon, they broke their heated kiss and stared at each other for far longer than Petra would have been comfortable with if she hadn't just been so close to him. In fact, they hadn't moved apart at all. Levi was still holding her, her hand was still wound tightly in his hair, their foreheads were pressed together and she could feel his quick breaths fanning out against her lips.

“You...kissed me,” She said dumbly and he chuckled a little in response as if he couldn't believe that was what she'd have to say after what they'd just done.

“Yeah,” He answered, closing his eyes for a moment, a small smile gracing his features and making her heart skip a beat. “I guess I did.”

“I liked it. Do it again,” She said, and that was all the prompting he needed to dive back in.

It was true, she would have bruises on her wrists, her shoulder blades, maybe even her neck if the attention Levi was giving it now didn't cease, but she didn't care about any of it because her fantasy didn't have to be a fantasy anymore. This wasn't what she imagined happening when she came to school today, but she found that she couldn't complain about it one bit.