#petra-reference

"Tch, you expect that anyone's going to admit to that? Being jealous? Being so insecure that trust in their partner doesn't win out?" Levi lowers his duster and plants one hand on his hip as he stands by the bookshelf. "Jealousy is a waste of emotion. If you can't trust your partner or respect them enough to believe in them then you shouldn't be in a relationship."

Petra pauses in her wiping of one of the library tables. "That's quite harsh. Some jealousy doesn't manifest in toxic ways. Sometimes people can't help but feel it even if they do trust their partner. Sometimes other people just seem like more of a threat, you know?"

Levi lowers his duster on the shelf and folds his arms, tilting his head to look at her. "That sounds like a personal answer."

Petra's cheeks turn pink. "N-no, I'm just saying-"

Levi's frown deepens. He walks towards the anon and leads them out of the room. "The answer is neither of us. We're beyond that." He shuts the door over on them.

However, if the anon listens in, they can just about hear through the door that Levi is speaking to Petra quietly.

"Are you worried about anyone?"

"No! I trust you." Petra's voice sounds particularly small.

"That's not exactly what I asked."

"I'm okay. I just have a bit of experience with a little jealousy. I just... I don't want you to think any of that stuff you said... about me."

There's a pause. Unbeknown to the anon, Levi is kissing Petra gently on the lips. After that pause, he speaks again.

"Huh," Petra says, tilting her head slightly in surprise. "I didn't think my age would be so interesting and I'm a little surprised at the range in guesses," she continues. "But to clear it all up, I turned 26 last December." She reaches a hand out to Levi's knee and squeezes it. "It's a bit disturbing that anyone thinks that the captain would marry someone that young."

Petra releases a huff of quiet embarrassment, her cheeks flushing. "I went to a tavern with some of the people I trained with and we... well we went a bit overboard on the drinks."

Levi raises one brow, his lips twitching. "I heard a story that there were peacocks involved."

Petra scowls at him because fuck him, she told him the story herself and had been trying to avoid going into that much detail. "Yes," she admits through pursed lips. "A nobleman was moving into a manor house at the other side of Karanes. His peacocks were being transported but they were running late. Their driver stopped at an inn for a break so they were in the cages when we were heading from one tavern to another."

"And already drunk," Levi supplies.

"Shut up," Petra grumbles. "We were very tipsy but not so out of it yet. We came upon the wagon full of cages and we couldn't just walk by. It was so stupid how this jerk had just dragged these birds along with him for the move. It was infuriating, actually. They looked so uncomfortable in those cages. So we..."

Suddenly she perked up. "Mike came out with us," she recalls. "And he didn't try and stop us when we decided to free the animals."

"No, can't imagine he would have done," Levi recalls, his gaze softening as he thinks about Mike. "That kind of shit would have gotten his goat."

"It did. He helped us." Petra agrees. "We managed to get them all out before the driver realized what was going on." She rubbed her eye thoughtfully. "Of course letting about ten peacocks loose in the middle of town wasn't the ideal solution but it gave that noble a lot of trouble," she continues with a smile and a shrug.

"I'm sure you made quite the mess, letting those run riot around town," Levi's mouth is pressed in a line but the corners are trembling a little. "What a nuisance."

Petra rolls her eyes. "We felt no remorse about trying to free those peacocks. We went on to another tavern and, honestly, forgot about the birds until the next morning. The driver spotted a couple of us but Mike vouched that we were all in the tavern with him at the time. He held a lot of sway even then. So we got away with it but we did get a telling off from our Squad Leaders. Even Erwin had a word with Mike about encouraging us."

Levi's slightly smiling now. "I'm pretty sure that was just lip service for the higher ups," he mused.

"Probably," Petra chuckles. She looks to her fiance. "What did you spend your first wages on?"

Levi shrugs at the question but barely takes any time to think about it. "I bought some personal cleaning supplies and some tea." He frowns distastefully as he recalls that time. "At the time our supplier's standards were pretty shit so I looked elsewhere. Eventually Erwin switched suppliers. He reckons he got a good deal on our new one because the supplier wanted to appease me or some shit like that."

"I should have known you'd spend yours on that." Petra teases.

Petra's cheeks are pink as she sits down in the mess hall with her soup. Her lips curve into a soft smile. "He's the first man I've been in love with, properly," she admits. She stirs her soup with a tiny laugh. "Before that, I'd only had a fleeting crushes - some cadets during my training and the post boy when I was about 11."

"Depends on the mood she's drinking in," Levi remarks as he stokes the fire building in his office. "But handling alcohol is not a skill I'd attribute to her," he adds, battling a smirk.

Petra scowls at him from where she's perched on the arm of his couch. "That's so rude. I don't get drunk every time I drink."

"I don't believe that was the question," Levi argues as he rises to his knees and wipes off his hands with a handkerchief. "But it's still true. Once you go beyond four drinks or so, you get pissed like that." He snaps his fingers and turns to her. "Do I have to remind you of the time you went to the wrong tavern? Or the time you and Oluo harassed a baker to open up after hours to serve you some sugared treats?"

Petra huffs. "Okay I'm not denying that sometimes I get drunk," she declared. "But I wouldn't say I can't hold my own."

"If you want to live in delusion, Petra, you go right ahead." Levi retorts and nods to her choice of seat. "Will you sit on that thing properly? There's two perfectly good seats next to you."

"I'm waiting for a better one." Petra folds her arms in defiance.

Levi sighs and walks over to the couch, sitting on it and opening his arms. Petra instantly rises up, side-steps and sitsdown in his lap, legs draped over her knees. She wraps her arms around his shoulders and turns towards Xeno.

"Most drinking sessions, I do take it easy although it's not because I am a lightweight," she grumbles. "I just don't want to overdo it."

"Because you can't handle your alcohol."

"Oh that's an interesting question," Petra muses. She leans back in her chair, amber eyes darting to the window where she looks out on a snowy landscape. She begins to smile. "I've always been quite good at ice-skating. We didn't have the proper skates they had in the interior though but I was able to keep my balance quite well. It's a lot of fun as well." "Can't say I've ever tried it," Levi remarks, folding his arms and glancing out of the window as well before looking back at Petra. "I don't want to think about how quickly Jaeger would injure himself. Mikasa would probably do fairly well." "Yeah," Petra agrees. "I thjnk you would do well in it too. You're quick and good at balancing yourself. Maybe we'll see one day." Levi simply gives a short nod. "... perhaps."

Levi stretches one arm along the back of the loveseat while he holds his tea cup in the other hand. His eyes narrow at the personal question. However, since his relationship with Petra is somewhat known (and this question is a lot less personal than the misunderstanding) he decides to answer.

"Petra doesn't always stay over but it's usually me that wakes up first. The only time she does is if she has a nightmare," he explains.

"Which is thankfully rare," Petra agrees from her position by the bookcase, putting some books away. "I usually wake up around 7 but for Levi, it varies, doesn't it?" She shoots him a concerned look.

"Yeah. Depends what time I went to sleep and how good of a night's sleep I've had," Levi muses. "Most nights I'll get about three or four hours, usually between 1am and 5am."

Petra visibly winces. "He's tried chaomomile tea and going to bed early and a lot of other advice."

"Yeah, well, I'm used to it," Levi shrugs. "No point in worrying about it."

"Well, tough," Petra puts the last book away and moves to sit next to him, leaning against his arm. "I worry."

Levi stands over the kitchen stove as he prepares some tea. Petra leans back against a kitchen counter with her arms folded as she considers the question. She eyes Levi who makes a small gesture with his hand, inviting her to go first.

"My favourite is pretty simple," Petra admits, "but because meat is a rare thing outside of the tiny portions we get in stew, we don't have it very much. But I like a slice or two of meat with some potatoes and vegetables. It's a really good balance of food groups."

She looks over to Levi with a smile. "What about you? Erwin has taken you into Mitras a lot, hasn't he? I guess you've probably had some fancy food there."

"Yeah," Levi sounds flat. "It's fucking outrageous what they have access to in Sina. But, since we can't eat that shit all that often, I'm not including them as favourites. Stew's pretty good. It's basic but it has all you need."

Petra chuckles. "Wow, I thought you'd pick something less messy."