Attack on Titan: Beyond Canon

Birthday Blues | Levi x Rivetra

"What do you think about beef, new potatoes and vegetables for dinner?" Petra asked as she examined the pack of beef thoughtfully, balancing the phone between her cheek and shoulder. "I thought I'd keep it simple. My client was a giant pain in the ass."

"Go ahead and eat without me. I'm working a double." Levi's voice was full of fatigue. "Oluo called in sick a few hours ago."

Petra lowered the beef packet and silently cursed that tongue-biting idiot. "That's three times in a week. It's not even consecutive days. He's gotta be taking liberties."

"Actually he did look like shit yesterday," Levi admitted heavily after a considerable pause, "and he wasn't looking so good the last time he was in either." Petra heard him growl. "He should have just taken my suggestion that he stay off."

"Yeah, you could have arranged some cover," she agreed, shelving the beef back in the fridge for now.

A sigh rumbled quietly down the phone. Petra could imagine her husband was leaning against something, fingers pinching the space between his brows the way he always did when he was irritated. She wished she could be there to kiss his stress away or better yet drive him home.

"Did he give any indication this time? Of how long he's gonna be?"

"I told him to take the rest of the week off. I'm not playing this back and forth game with him just because he damn well can't fully decide if he's too sick to work or not. I've got an agency waiter coming in tomorrow and Friday. Mike's gonna be managing tomorrow so he can handle them."

"Good. You need your time off too."

Petra closed the fridge and leaned back against the nearest counter top, staring across their spacious kitchen, black counters and cupboards contrasting stylishly with ivory walls and the many photographs of her and Levi hanging around the room in their black frames: in front of the Eiffel Tower, standing by the Trevi fountain, under the Aurora Borealis in Iceland, lounging on a beach in Rio de Janeiro and sitting in a country pub in Ireland. She drummed her fingers on her thigh thoughtfully. Such happy, carefree times. Even Levi with his insomnia had managed to get a couple more hours of sleep each night whenever they took a holiday.

This week, he had managed less than three hours on the days he had covered for Oluo. It seemed that tonight was going to be more of the same.

"I'll prepare you a plate anyway. You can heat it up when you get back."

A long pause. "Okay." There was no resistance in Levi's voice nor any complaints about the taste of reheated food. That fact gnawed at Petra's rising worry.

"You need to take it easier," she pleaded, cradling her phone in her hands. "You're wearing yourself out this week."

"There was no one else who could have come in today," came the exhausted reply.

"I know," Petra sighed. "But it's not your first double shift this week,"

"It'll be fine, Petra. After this shift, Mike will handle it until the weekend."

"Okay, good. Take care though. Call me if you're too tired to drive though. We can come back for your car tomorrow."

"I'll be able to drive, don't worry."

"Even so."

Another sigh. "I'll get a cab if I have to." He paused again. "We'll get quiet in a few hours. I'll get some rest then. I'll see you later."

"Okay," Petra closed her eyes. "I'll see you later."

The call disconnected but her worry remained as she stared at the screen for a few minutes.