Shorter Than Me

8 Levi

She literally looks like she's floating on a cloud. Her face has a smile almost all the time and, if it doesn't, there's the ghost of one just behind her eyes.

She looks completely ridiculous and completely oblivious.

It reminds me of Petra when we first kissed.

***

"Why don't you want to kiss me?" she asked. We were in my office talking.

"Did I say that?"

"You've never tried to kiss me. It's been a month since you told me you loved me."

"And that means we should kiss?" I remained stoic.

"Well do you want to kiss me?"

The answer was yes. I did want to kiss her.

"Hello?"

"Hello," I replied.

"Levi! Just answer the question!" She threw her hands up, exasperated.

"Yes," I said bluntly.

Her face lit up. "Really?"

I just looked at her.

"Can we now?" She was excited.

I sighed. "If you insist."

She almost jumped with excitement. She stepped closer to me. "Levi, you have to stand up."

"Do I?"

"Yes!" She grabbed my arm and pulled on it. I stood and faced her. We were only an inch difference in height.

Levi is 5'3" and Petra is 5'2" roughly.

I moved my face closer to hers and our lips touched for an instant. I stepped back and looked at her face.

"That was short," she commented. She looked happy. She was just joking, but I wanted to do it again.

I wrapped my arms around her. And met her lips in a deeper, more passionate kiss.

I feel like Levi is a good kisser. Because he's good at everything else.

When I finally let go, her eyes shined with pure joy. I placed my hand on her chest and felt her heart racing. She put her hand on mine and I could feel my heart beating at the same rate. I grasped her hand and said, "Now you're a part of me."

"And you're a part of me." She smiled at me. "I love you."

I sighed. "Me too."

She laughed. "Now that we have that over with, we can work on your smile."

"I like my smile." I turned away from her.

"Well I don't like your lack of smile." She grabbed my arm and turned me around. "Now turn the corners of your mouth up like this." She demonstrated.

"It's getting too late for little girls to be awake. Go to bed." I lightly shoved her to the door.

"Only if the little boy smiles." She planted her feet on the ground. I sighed again and put my arms around her waist. I picked her up and deposited her outside the door. Then I closed and locked it.

***

The shortie has the same look in her eyes. It makes me feel like Petra is alive again, somehow.

I stop in the forest. It isn't raining heavily and only an occasional drop passes the canopy of trees above us.

"What do you want to learn?" I ask.

She's surprised and struggles for an answer.

"Don't stutter," I order.

"Yes, sir. I think I'd like to learn... maybe... some of your techniques. You're so good and I want to learn from that."

"Which techniques?" I ask.

"Well... I hear you hold one of the blades backward while killing a titan. Why?"

It's true. I do hold my right blade backward. "It's so I can do spinning attacks. It helps me keep speed and agility while in combat."

I got that off the internet. Don't take my word for it.

"Can you teach me, sir?" she asks.

"Probably not. You've already learned to use them the right way. If I tried to teach you, your brain might get confused while fighting. That kind of mistake could prove fatal."

"Then how did you learn it that way, sir?"

"I already was able to use the maneuver gear better than most when I actually started learning how to kill titans. I adapted my use of the blades to my techniques."

She looks disappointed. "Then can you show me how to spin, sir?"

I show her a simple spin that's actually very complicated. I do a little explaining and then she tries it. She looses control and falls a few feet before catching herself smoothly. I ask her what she did wrong, but she doesn't know. I tell her she didn't start right and order her to do it again. By the end of the day, she hasn't mastered it, but she understands it. Now it's just a matter of practice.

***

Hanji comes banging into my office.

"Levi! Guess what!"

"How many times have I told you to knock?" I say, annoyed.

"Levi! Guess what!" she repeats.

"I'm not going to guess and I don't care."

"Fine. Commander Erwin approved my request for an expedition!" She plants her hands on my desk loudly and I look up at her.

"Remove your hands from my desk."

She does and grabs my shoulder. She tries to turn me to face her, but I twist out of her grasp. "Don't you understand what this means, Levi? You get to kill more titans!"

"You can leave now."

"Whatever. I know you're just as excited as me on the inside!" She practically skips out of the room, not bothering to shut the door behind her. I sigh and stand up to close it.

I would have heard about the expedition sooner or later. Commander Erwin will probably tell the whole Scouting Legion tonight at dinner.

There are ONE THOUSAND READS and because of my UTTER HAPPINESS I will publish the rest of chapter eight!!!!!!! Yayyyy!!!!!!!