The Girl With The Yellow Ribbon - Attack on Titan

Chapter Seventeen

"Levi, open this door." Petra banged on the door again. "Levi, open this damn door before I break it!"

No response. She knocked again, and again, and again. Still, no response.

"Don't think I'm fooling around, Levi, I will break this door. I can do it, just watch me!"

Finally, the knob turned and the door opened.

Levi stood in the doorway, looking more pissed than usual.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"You know what I want," She said.

"Yes, I do, and no, it's not happening." He went to shut the door but Petra put her arm out to stop. "Be careful moving so quickly like that, you'll get hurt."

"I'll be fine." She said. "Just like I'll be fine going with you."

He gave a humourless laugh before mumbling, "You don't understand, Petra."

"Yes, I do. It's you who doesn't." She insisted. "What I understand—and what is true—is that we're the only surviving members of our squad. That means that we have fought fate and won. We can't be separated now, not after everything we've been through."

"This is a different world, Petra. You've always lived above ground and had the ability to bask in the sunlight—there is no sunlight here. This place takes the strongest people and breaks them. Every day you have to fight to survive, but instead of fighting the titans, you're fighting other humans and humans are a hundred times more lethal than a titan is."

"That doesn't matter." She took a step towards him and grabbed his arm. "We have fought titans, and we can fight people too. You know why?"

When Levi didn't respond, Petra took his hand and pressed it against her chest, right below the swell of her breast.

"Do you feel that?" She asked, but he didn't respond. "That's my heartbeat, Levi. That means I'm still alive, and if we're still alive then we can fight. If we stop fighting, all that's left for us is to lay down and die."

Levi stood for a moment, stunned, with his hand pressed to Petra's heart.

She's here, He thought. She's here, she's here, she's here.

His demeanor suddenly changed. No longer was he dripping with anger, but instead he looked as if he was about to cry.

"I can't lose you." He said. "I can't, not you too. It's a dangerous place full of bad people. I know I said I can handle it, but . . . but I don't know if you can."

"Levi . . ." She whispered, reaching up and cupping his face gently. "Do you not remember what we've been through? How strong we both are? Yes, we're strong on our own, but together? We're a whole new level of strength that cannot be measured."

"I know." He said, giving a half-hearted laugh. "It's strange, really. We . . . you've been through so much, and yet you haven't changed a bit. You're still that loud, beautiful girl I met during training."

She smiled. "Thank you."

"But that doesn't mean I want you to come." He added.

Petra took a step closer and wrapped her arms firmly around Levi's neck and placed a soft kiss on his shoulder.

"I know." She whispered. "But I need you, and you need me. We can do this together."

Levi did not agree aloud, no, but the way he wrapped his arms firmly around Petra's waist and sighed softly was all the assurance she needed.

* * * *

Marie had not moved from the edge of the frayed rug since she sat down. Not when Levi lashed out, not when Hanji ruffled her hair in goodbye, not when Erwin smiled softly at her.

Marie had just met one of her heroes, and yet she couldn't even muster the strength to say hello.

As she sat there, lost in her own head, she heard soft footsteps echo down the hall. She didn't look to see who it was.

"Why are you still sitting there?" Levi asked softly. She shrugged. Noticing something was wrong, he knelt beside her.

"Is something the matter?" He asked. She shrugged again. At this point, Levi noticed the tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. "Hey, don't cry."

"But . . ." She sniffled. "But you're leaving and might not come back."

"Ah, that's what you're upset about." He nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, kid. I'll come back, I promise."

"But it's dangerous, you said so yourself."

"I know, I know." He said. "But I'm a soldier, and so is Petra. We're real strong, we can do it. I promise we'll come back."

He taps her shoulder and holds his arms wide.

Marie presses her puffy cheeks to his shoulder and weeps. She clutches his jacket and wonders that if maybe she holds tight enough, he won't leave.

"You promise you'll come back?" She asked. "You swear it?"

"I swear it." He runs his hand up and down her back in a soothing manor. "I'll come back."

"Will you keep Petra safe?" She whispers. "I know she's strong, she's a soldier! But she was hurt so bad . . . you gotta keep her safe, captain. Please, you gotta keep her safe—"

"Look at me," Levi says, cupping Marie's red face and thumbs away her tears. "I will protect Petra until the day I die, and I don't intend to die anytime soon. I will protect her, and I will come back for you."

"Do you . . . do you promise?" She whimpers.

"I promise." He drops his hands and gives a half smile. "Now stop crying. A young lady like you shouldn't be crying over a man like me."

"Okay," Marie says, wiping at her cheeks with the heel of her hand and sniffles. "I won't cry, captain."

ah, yes. angst. 

~M