"Petra, wake up," Levi whispered, brushing his lips over Petra's forehead. 

She hummed, brows creasing before she cracked her eyes open.

"Is it morning yet?"

"It's noon."

Jumping into a sitting position, Petra's eyes widened like two sauces, staring at Levi for explanation.

"What?!" 

Once Levi let out a huff, Petra took the pillow and threw it on him in embarrassment.

"Hey!"

"Why did you do it?" she whisper-yelled, so she wouldn't wake up the entire HQ. That's it... if she hasn't already by her 'What?!'.

But Levi only smiled at her sadly. So sadly that Petra almost stumbled back.

"Levi... what's wrong?" she asked, eyes gently and worried.

"Because..." Levi started. "You will have peace only when you sleep."

Petra froze, feeling as if something grabbed her by the neck from behind. Reaching behind, she rubbed it, but the feeling didn't go away.

"Levi, what is happening?" she asked in mild panic.

But Levi looked like he was in a strange daze, half conscious, half distant. 

"You have to wake up. It is time."

"Time? Time for what?" Petra asked further, now fully panicking. 

Brushing the tips of his fingers across her cheek, Levi closed his eyes. Abruptly he opened them and Petra almost fell off the bed due to the intensity flaring in them.

"Open your eyes," he commanded without yelling, but it was enough for her to fall down, into a pit of something beyond anything she could imagine.

Before she could scream, she jerked.

.

.

.

Sleep cleared from her mind and eyes like a spider web would be torn away by a hand, Petra started before her, lost in the fragment of her dream.

She wasn't in her nor Levi's room. Trees were all she could see. Soft mattresses and pillows were replaced with a hard and sturdy wood, blankets replaced with green capes - thin, warm and comfortable. 

Memories of the last day flushed and she felt a headache already making her temples throb. Closing her eyes and frowning, she tried to not think about it.

Light of the Sun streamed down the treetops and Petra looked down at her lap, smiling. Levi's head laid there, his body curled down beside hers. Bringing her hand on his head, she gently brushed her thumb over the crease of his forehead, present even in his sleep. 

Browsing, she saw Auruo and Eld still sleeping, leaned on the giant trunk and Gunther who was stretching, always ready for action.

"Hey, Gunther," she whispered sleepily.

Gunther turned, smiling at her. "Good morning. Have you been able to catch a decent sleep?"

"I did. At least I didn't think about anything," Petra admitted, thoughtfully staring at Levi who didn't even move.

He's still sleeping... So peaceful.

How vulnerable he was in his sleep... Petra found it so calming yet so sad. Was he able to sleep like this when he was an Underground thug? Was he able to sleep without fear that someone might varde in his house through the door or slip through the window soundlessly - attacking and killing him? 

Letting out another, weary sigh, Petra bent down and kissed Levi's head, soft black locks trickling her nose. Smiling into his hair, Petra planted another kiss on his forehead. 

This time, Levi's face muscles twitched. Navy eyes fluttered open and then closed again. 

Turning on his back, Levi rubbed his left eye, the other one looking up at Petra.

"Good morning," he said with a small, barely noticeable smile.

"Good morning to you too," Petra said sweetly. "I woke up just recently, Gunther was once again an early bird."

Acknowledging the information, Levi exhaled and adjusted his head in Petra's lap, on a verge to fall asleep again.

"We have to wake up," Gunther said. "We haven't eaten anything for the past several hours."

"Can't they sleep some more?" Petra asked.

Shaking his head, Gunthed looked down at the ground, eyes skimming over in search of titans. 

They disappeared... Weird.

"Levi, you have to wake up."

"I'm good like this," Levi muttered with a smirk, pulling himself closer to Petra.

Despite the blush and a skip of a heart, Petra puffed her cheeks and pinched his nose to which Levi grumbled, shooting dagger at her.

"That was not nice."

"Neither is refusing to get up," Petra said in a mildly scolding tone.

"Tch. Fine," Levi muttered before sitting up, brushing hair from his face. 

"See? It wasn't that hard?"

"You will see when we return," Levi warned, a sharp smirk on his lips.

Choosing to ignore the hidden meaning for the sake of not embarrassing herself even more, Petra reverted to her spot, shaking Eld and Auruo awake.

Eld was the easiest to regain his senses, after less than a minute on his feet. On the other hand, Auruo took more than Levi did. 

"Auruo, hey," Petra shook him gently. 

Opening his eyes, at first Auruo stared at her tiredly before his eyes widened as if he remembered everything that occurred yesterday. 

Grabbing Petra's shoulders urgently, he examined her shocked face. 

"Are you ok? Did something happen?" he urged. "Are the others ok?"

Freezing his hands that had been working on his ODM gear, Levi did his best to preserve some self-control. So instead of snapping his head, he only slightly tilted it, eyes brushing two figures. 

And for the first time since Petra and him had gotten together, he felt doubt in Auruo. Maybe a tint of sleep could be ascribed to his behaviour, not enough sleep and stress taking its share, however, he couldn't let it fog his vision and judgement. 

Not now, when his squad was isolated in a place where anything can happen without anyone knowing or without a fair share of witnesses who would judge, laugh, swear or give a testimony in one's favour. 

Now, anything and nothing can happen. And anything and nothing could be done against it.

If Auruo had never given up a baton, then... Levi thought grimly, eyes never taking off the two.

Unbeknownst to him, Eld and Gunther had also observed the scene, but less conspicuously than Levi, each of them continuing their business as if they had seen nothing unusual.

"I... am ok. We all are ok," Petra said slowly, observing Auruo closely, not getting why he had his eyes on her and not searching for others he had asked in the last sentence. 

"You don't need to worry. Remember our plan? We have to go out of the forest and carry on on our own, however we manage," she added, placing her palms on Auruo's hands that still held her shoulders.

With a slight unease, which she didn't know why occurred now, Petra squeezed his hands somehow strainly, as if his grip was choking her.

As if woken up from a deep slumber or even dazed, Auruo abruptly let go of Petra, averting his gaze from her. Immediately putting a hand over his eyes so she would not see how widened they were.

"I slept too long," he complained, lying all the way. He even started rubbing the place between his eyes with eyes scrunched shut, as if he was dizzy or still not fully awake.

"Oh..." Petra let out, an immense relief washing over her despite something hitting the back of her head.

Something, a lone snippet of something even bigger she couldn't fathom yet. Unregistered it had passed since Petra had no heart to think so, making her mind selectively hiding unwanted thoughts away.

"Then you have to get up now and help us with preparing," she said and smiled brightly before standing up.

Levi quickly continued his work, as well as Gunther and Eld who repaired their own gear and cleaned their swords. 

Oblivious, Petra approached Levi when Auruo stood up and stretched. Kneeling, she as well started cleaning her gear while Levi kept shooting her occasional glances. She responded to none.

She either didn't see them, or didn't want to see. 

Or maybe, just maybe, we had underestimated her innocence and ignorance. Maybe everyone was wrong when they estimated she was unaware of Auruo's feelings? Levi thought but shook it off.

He had full faith in Petra, just like she had in him. 

.

.

.

"How much?"

"From my calculation, approximately three kilometres forward."

"Ugh..."

"It is how it is..."

"Should we take a break?"

"In a few minutes."

"Alright."

Eld and Auruo landed on the branch softly. Followed by Petra and Levi and then by Gunther, they continued walking along a huge branch, over the place the trunk had separated and formed branches so long ago, then along the other branch - the one that almost connected with the branch of the other tree. 

A few hours had passed since they started the path towards the Walls. They were lucky their mission was in the Forest of the Giant Trees, since it was relatively close to Wall Rose. Once they get out of the forest, they would need all day, around 8 hours to get to safety. 

If they don't get eaten, that is.

"Are you ok?" Levi suddenly asked Petra when Auruo, Eld and Gunther had leaped the space between two branches and landed on the other safely.

"What do you mean?" Petra asked, looking at Levi carefully.

"I mean, that with Auruo," Levi explained, giving a sign to the rest of his squad to carry on.

Auruo gulped, knowing well what Captain wanted to ask Petra. He only hoped he wouldn't let his tongue slip and reveal something. 

As much as he trusted him he wouldn't want to make Petra hurt again, Auruo knew from his own experience jealousy can be an incredibly strong fuel.

When they drifted off, Levi sighed, fully turning to Petra.

"I just hope you aren't distressed in any way," he started. "With Auruo, I mean."

Petra blinked, a realisation spreading over her face slowly, yet sharply.

"You think..." she started. "That I might think he is trying something?"

As if someone had punched him, Levi bit his tongue so he would course the pain in another direction.

"I... have my fears regarding what you might think. You looked shocked and wary there," Levi explained as carefully as he could. "I don't want you to be shaken by anything that may come to your mind. You can always... talk it out with me."

A frown appearing and disappearing from her face, Petra looked at Levi seriously. 

"Levi, I am glad that you care about what I fear or think, but believe me, I had no such worties," she said in a soft voice, seriousness being replaced by a kind smile. "Thank you for worrying, but Auruo is like a brother to me and even if you might doubt him, I do not. He's my friend and I love him endlessly and want him safe and happy, but not in a way I love you. You have nothing to fear."

Levi took a sharp breath. 

"I don't fear you might fall for him, it's not that!" he said. "It's just... I tend to overthink so I think others might as well. Sorry."

As he spoke, he scratched the back of his neck, lowering his eyes to the ground. 

Chuckling, Petra planted a kiss on his cheek. "Well, I can overthink sometimes, but not like you," she said teasingly.

"Oh? Is that a mock?" Levi smirked.

"Maybe?" Petra said before something caught their ears.

"What is it?" Petra said, inching closer to Levi who on instinct pulled her closer to him.

"I don't know," he said grimly, eyes darting around them.

When it got louder, Petra and Levi looked at each other and hid behind the trunk of the tree, holding each other and not daring to breathe too loud.

Sliding down to a sitting position, they pressed their backs against a solid surface and waited. 

I hope others had done the same, Petra prayed, sweat accumulating on her temples, her hands squeezing Levi's forearm. In response, Levi tightened his arms around her.

They waited. And waited. Like at any moment, something might jump from anywhere and devour them.

Behind, they heard rustling. And then steps. Multiple steps. Belonging to multiple bodies.

Daring to look down, Levi and Petra spotted a horde of titans moving beneath them in one direction. More of them followed, they were like the sea.

How many of them? Petra thought in horror. We must not let them hear us.

After a few minutes, some titans left, but some stayed. They sat or laid there, without an intention to go soon. 

Shit! Levi cursed mentally. Now we have to wait for the night. 

With that cognition, Levi and Petra stayed huddled close. They couldn't move nor speak, cough nor sleep.

They were trapped there.