Not the End; [Rivetra / Levi x Petra FANFIC]

Coffee:

Levi gets out of bed sleepily, grumpily. He wanders to the living room and sniffs around. There’s something missing: The smell of coffee. Each morning, Levi would wake up to the smell of coffee but not today. He can’t smell it today. He wearily rubs his eyes and looks around. Gunther, the one who’s usually in charge of making coffee, is nowhere in sight. Levi needs his coffee every morning or he’d be even more grumpy that he already is. Petra enters the living room.

“What’s wrong, Captain?” she asks. Levi sinks down onto the table due to the lack of caffeine in the morning. “Captain??”

“It’s nothing … Where’s Gunther?”

“He said he has business to attend to today and told me to make coffee for you in his stead.” Levi’s expression brightens. Coffee? Petra will make the coffee? This made Levi somewhat uneasy. “Do you … have experience making coffee?”

Petra glares at Levi. “Who do you take me for? A person who only knows how to kill titans? I’m still a girl you know.”

Levi sat down and waited for his coffee to be made. He looked at Petra’s back while she made his coffee. He never noticed her slim figure before. She’s surprisingly thin for a soldier. Her curves are very conspicuous, but he never noticed before. Why didn’t I notice her charm before? Levi was confounded as he thought about Petra. Petra was an austere girl, not too heavily decorated and she barely wore makeup. Why do I still find her attractive while she’s conducting such a banal task?

“Captain? Stop spacing out. Here’s your coffee.”

Levi has a sip of the coffee. He felt ambivalent about its taste. It tasted different from Gunther’s normal coffee, for sure. But it’s the same formula.

“Petra, what did you put in this coffee?”

“Coffee beans? Water? Sugar?”

“Aside from that. What else did you put in?”

“I didn’t put anything else in. I used the same recipe that I got from Gunther so that you could taste the same coffee.”

Levi thought long and hard about this. Why did it taste different?

“Do you like it Captain?”

“Yes. It tastes great. Not exactly like Gunther’s but it’s better. It’s great. It’s so wonderful that I’d like you to make coffee from now on, instead of Gunther.”

“W-What? Y-Yes sir…” Petra blushes.

“What? Do you not want to?”

“No sir! I’d love to make coffee for you every day! For the rest of your life if possible sir!” Petra immediately regrets saying this, wondering if she’ll be misunderstood by Levi.

“Great. It’s settled then. I’ll be looking forward to tomorrow’s coffee. And by the way, I’m heading out to the court later today to deal with some kid named Eren Jaeger. You can stay here until I get back.”

“Yes sir!”

The next day.

Gunther wakes up early in the morning and makes coffee for Levi. He sets it on the table for Levi when he gets up. Levi comes down to the living room and sees the coffee. He takes a sip. Bitter. The coffee is bitter. He spits it out immediately.

“Who made this coffee?”

“It was me, sir. Is something wrong?” Gunther replies.

“It’s extremely bitter.”

“It’s the same recipe from before, sir.”

“Is that so…?”

Petra comes down to the living room and is shocked. She forgot that she had to make coffee for the captain starting today. She overslept and her hair is sticking up in multiple directions.

“Oh yes, Gunther. I ordered Petra to make the coffee from now on. You don’t have to worry about it anymore,” Levi says. “Go on. Make me some coffee, Petra.”

Offended, Petra replies, “I don’t think you have the right to order me to make coffee, like your slave.”

“No, Petra. I just-” Levi is unable to finish his sentence before Petra storms to her room. “Do you think she misunderstood what I said?”

“Well from the way you said it, captain, it sounded like your were ordering her to do it … like her slave. I’d be offended too. I don’t make the coffee because you’re the captain, but because I respect you.” Gunther replies.

Levi goes to Petra’s room. He’s standing outside of her room, debating whether he should knock or not. What if she’s still mad at me? How should I start the conversation? What do I say… As Levi raises his knuckle to knock on the door, the door opens.

“C-Captain Levi?? What are you doing standing here??” Petra asks.

“Uh… I just … I …” Levi is at a loss for words. He was too surprised by the sudden door opening.

“I’m going to go shower, Captain.”

“Wait! I just wanted … to say … sorry. I didn’t mean what I said this morning. I mean I did but … not in that way. I just really like the coffee you make. It’s way better than Gunther’s.”

Petra doesn’t respond and smiles to herself.

“And didn’t you say you’d make me coffee for the rest of my life? I’d like it very much if you kept that promise.” Levi smiles to himself. “Okay bye.” He awkwardly leaves.

Petra smiles. “Captain … really … heheh. He says what he wants and leaves … just like a child…”

Petra has been making coffee for Levi ever since that day. There were no more misunderstandings after that one was cleared and the squad got along in harmony.

“Who’s that?” Petra asks.

“This is Eren Jaeger. He’s the kid who I’ll be looking after starting today.” Levi responds.

“I’m Eren Jaeger! Nice to meet you ma’am!”

“Ma’am???” Petra is surprised at the sudden greeting. “Nice to meet you too Eren. My name is Petra. I hope we’ll get along well. Would you like some coffee?”
“Yes please!”

They head inside and sit down at the table as Petra makes coffee. Levi’s eyes are glued onto Eren as Eren watches Petra make the coffee. Eren doesn’t want to make eye contact with the captain so he watches Petra instead.

“Hey kid… what are you looking at?” Levi asks. That brat is all starry-eyed for Petra…

“T-The coffee, sir! I’m looking at the coffee!”

Petra arrives with the coffee and places a cup down in front of Eren. Levi waits for his cup, but there is none. He looks up at Petra, but Petra isn’t looking at him. Instead, she’s smiling at Eren. His expression darkens every second as he watches Eren drink his coffee. One sip… two sips … three sips…

“This is delicious, ma’am!”

“Just call me Petra!”

“It’s delicious, Petra! Isn’t it delicious, Cap-” Eren looks up and makes eye contact with Levi. His eyes are piercing into Eren’s soul. Petra looks up too and notices Levi’s expression. She runs to the kitchen and pours a cup for Levi as well. Levi takes up the cup and gulps down the coffee. After he’s done, a faint smile appears on Levi’s face for a second, and then disappears. He is pleased after being taunted by Eren drinking his coffee.

Petra mumbles, “Like a little boy…”

“What?”

“N-nothing, sir!” Petra smiles. Levi was jealous that Eren was drinking his beloved coffee before he did. Petra thought it was cute.