Apology

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Summary: "When you said you needed a model, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind." [One-Shot]

Petra checked the time again and quickened her pace. She had a paper to turn in at the start of class and her professor was extremely picky and would take off points for every minute the assignment was late. So naturally, she had to miss the shuttle today, forcing her walk up to campus. Living within walking distance of the university, she hadn't wanted to pay the ridiculous sum of money to get the permit to park her car in only one of the university's parking lots so driving was not an option. It would've come in handy now.

Petra debated making a ten-second run back to her apartment's parking, grabbing her car, and driving up to campus anyway. Surely she could turn the assignment in and run back to her car in less than five minutes. The likelihood of campus security doing a check and giving her a citation was a small one.

But I'm already walking. She really didn't want to run and drive back and forth. Thirteen minutes later, a little out of breath from the speed walking, she entered the lecture hall, right on time. Are you fucking kidding me? She straightened the loose pieces of paper and looked around. How did she always manage to forget to staple her papers?

"Here," a familiar voice sad from behind. Petra looked at the outstretched hand and the person attached to the arm. She hesitated. "Almost everyone else has turned their assignments in. You know how Keith—Professor Shadis—is," Levi corrected himself, since their professor, unlike the other professors, insisted they call him by his appropriate title rather than his first name.

In her periphery, she noticed someone set a black stapler next to the stack of papers. "Thanks, but I'm okay." Levi started to speak but she turned quickly and moved away. Petra could feel his eyes on the back of her head for the next hour and half.

Ugh, so hungry. Petra debated between grabbing food from the nearby stalls with their heavenly scents or going home and making something. A tap on her shoulder broke her internal struggle.

Levi had snuck up on her. In his hands was a carton that smelled particularly amazing. "I know you love Indian food so I got you a samosa."

Petra knew it was a peace offering. But she didn't want to accept it. Well, she did want the samosa but not what it would mean if she accepted it. "I've been trying to eat healthier." Not technically a lie. She had some salad with greasy lasagna the other night. She felt a little bad, watching his face fall at her rejection. She also felt bad about enjoying it a little.

"Look, Petra—"

"I have to go. I have work in less than an hour and I still have to go home and eat and change first," she said quickly and left.

Petra sighed, scanning the list of TV shows for the nth time. They were all really good and highly recommended. Yet she couldn't bring herself to watch any. Her homework, for once, was all done and her roommate was at the library with her study group. Her only class for the day might end up being cancelled so she didn't even have that to look forward to.

She gave her phone a longing glance. No, don't do it. Don't set yourself up for disappointment. With a groan, she fell back on her bed. Stupid Levi, why did he have to be such a dumbass? She really missed him. A knock at the door roused her from her mood.

Really, she shouldn't have been surprised to see him there. "What do you want?" It came out harsher than she intended.

Levi winced. Then he straightened up. "I came to say I'm sorry."

"You've already apologized." Petra moved to shut the door but he caught it with his hand.

"Levi—"

"You were right. Skye was a jealous, self-absorbed bitch. I should have listened to you and stayed away from her."

Petra crossed her arms. "And?"

"And I should've believed you when you said she was a phony, especially since she would make passive aggressive comments about you in private."

"Passive aggressive comments?" Petra scowled in anger. "And you still didn't believe me?"

"I don't know," Levi said defensively. "I just thought it was one those things women did, you know, bitching about each other behind their backs."

"Yeah, when they're rude and we don't like them!"

She was starting to get riled up. Levi groaned. "Petra, I didn't come here to start a fight. I just want things between us to go back to how they were. And I'm really sorry that jealous bitch ruined your art project and wrecked your grade. If there was anything I could do to fix it, believe me I would."

Petra looked away, still upset.

"I swear, I'll do anything to make it up to you," Levi pleaded.

She hesitated. "Anything?"

"Anything."

Finally, she looked at him, eyeing him up and down.

"Will you forgive me?" Levi asked hopefully.

"Depends. One sec." She went into her room, inviting him in and leaving him in the living room.

When she returned, she was holding a piece of paper and her phone. Levi listened curiously as she talked.

"Hi, it's Petra. So I got your email and I think I might have a solution. Uh-huh. Yes. He'd love to."

It was then Levi started to feel a touch nervous. Petra could be incredibly vindictive if she wanted. He had no doubt the "he" she was referring to was him.

"Alright, I'll see you at five. Okay, bye."

"What was that about?"

"Do you have plans today from five to seven?"

"No," Levi replied warily.

Petra nodded. "Good, because you're coming with me."

"What exactly is it that you told the person on the phone I'd 'love to' do?"

"Model."

"What?" That was not what he had been expecting.

Petra eyed him again. "You're going to model."

"It's not something embarrassing, is it? I'm not going to be dressed in ridiculous or embarrassing outfits, am I?" Levi knew she had friends in the sewing club that made outfits.

"No, don't be sill. You won't be changing into anything."

Levi nodded and left, feeling better.

"When you said you needed a model, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind."

Petra grinned. "Oh? Did you think you were being photographed? I'm sorry, I guess I assumed you knew what you were getting into since I've told you about this class before."

Around them, a few students trickled in, giving him curious looks. There were about a dozen easels facing the front of the dark room, where a small round stand was placed, directly under a florescent light. Levi cringed, wondering if it was too late to back out now.

That, of course, was when Petra's art teacher came over, thanking her for helping and not letting the class fall behind and Levi for volunteering. Petra was really counting on the assignment to raise her grade and it would make the teacher regard her more favorably, too. He couldn't fuck it up for her.

"This floral pattern really suits you," Petra teased, touching the robe he had on.

"I look stupid."

"I told you that you didn't have to wear anything silly or embarrassing. You could have just stripped and not put on the robe," she said innocently.

He sent her a scathing look.

"You're lucky, you know, I picked classes last minute and got stuck with this one. The earlier ones have over thirty students. This one has about half that." All students were present and Petra left with a pat on his shoulder and a "good luck."

Levi moved stiffly when it was time, feeling like a bug under a microscope on the little stage. Awkwardly fumbling with the sash, he let the robe drop, trying not to cover himself. Strange faces stared at him and he quickly found the familiar redhead, feeling his face heat up.

Swallowing his dignity, he resigned himself to his fate for the rest of the class period.

"I can't believe you made me pose naked for your art class."

"Stop sulking, you were indirectly responsible for my shitty grade. It was only fair you helped raise it. Besides, I bought you ice-cream." Petra licked her mint chocolate chip cone as they strolled through the middle of the campus.

"You should've given me a heads-up," he whined.

"I've been talking about this class for weeks. It's your own fault for not listening and assuming things."

Somehow, Levi made the act of licking his cookies n' cream cone look pouty.

"Oh, cheer up, it wasn't that bad."

"It might have been a little less unbearable had you not kept grinning and winking and wagging your stupid eyebrows at me the entire time!"

"But it was so funny! I couldn't help it!" Petra giggled. "And you didn't have to look at me, you could've looked at someone or something else."

Levi had looked to the floor, imploring it to swallow him whole but the professor had told him not to do that. "I tried," he defended. "And I caught that creepy guy staring at me." Levi shuddered.

"What creepy guy?"

"The one you're always complaining about, who keeps trying to flirt with you and biting his tongue."

"Oluo? He's harmless."

"Whatever. I'm gonna take a shower when I get home."

Petra laughed. "Seriously though, you weren't that bad. I mean, this is the first class I've ever taken where we had a nude model, but I think you were pretty good. I was fully expecting you to turn red as a tomato. You only blushed. It was very cute."

"Halfway through I kind of went numb from the embarrassment." Externally, anyway. "And don't call me cute."

"Yeah, you started staring at my forehead and spaced-out. It was funnier when you were awkward and less confident."

"I'm glad you found my humiliation so amusing," Levi said dryly.

"You've nothing to be ashamed of," Petra insisted. "Your abs are really nice. And your legs. And your biceps. A good jawline, too. You have a hot body," she declared.

Under different circumstances, he would've accepted the compliment and teased her mercilessly. As it was, he was feeling very sensitive. Although he would most certainly remember it and use it against her later. "I'm surprised you haven't made any pervy comments yet."

"Are you trying to bait me into talking about your penis because I complimented your body? Because I was trying to be considerate of your delicate state but if you want me to—"

"No," Levi interrupted quickly. "I don't want to hear it."

"You're acting like I was gonna make a phallus joke."

Levi gave a knowing look. "You were."

"It could've been a compliment but now you'll never know."

"Fine by me."

"Are you sure?" Petra asked. "Can you live with the knowledge I saw your penis but you'll never know what I think of it?"

A passerby glanced at them.

"Can we please not talk about my penis in public?" Levi eyed their surroundings. While the campus was not nearly as crowded, almost empty in fact, as it was late, there were still plenty of people walking around.

They reached the parking lot and went to her car. "That's the nice thing about having a class so late in the day. Lots of parking and no permit required." Levi nodded, grateful she'd moved on to a different topic. "Out of curiosity," Petra said, putting her seatbelt on, "now that we're technically not in public, did you feel your—"

Levi groaned. "I don't know if I should be flattered or worried about your sudden and growing obsession with my private parts."

Petra's smile grew wider at his words. "I was gonna ask if, when you were up there, did you feel...you know..."

"What?" Levi suddenly regretted being locked in an enclosed space with her.

"Fine, I'll spell it out for you. I heard that sometimes men get an erection when they're standing up there. Did you get the feeling it might happen?"

Oh yeah, he was definitely regretting getting into her car now. I should've walked home.

Fortunately for Levi, he lived close to the university and was able to stay quiet long enough to make it back to his apartment. "Here you are."

"Thanks." He paused, hand on the handle. "Have you forgiven me now?"

"Actually I forgave you when you first apologized," Petra admitted. "I just felt like staying angry. I was really mad you didn't believe me about her being a jealous bitch."

"Next time, I'll believe you," he promised.

"Good." Petra smiled at him. Then she shook her head. "But seriously, Skye Star Sterling? What were you thinking dating someone with such a dumb name? It sounds so made up. A fictional name for a fake, annoying girl."

"Very flakey," Levi agreed, opening the car door. "Well, next time, I'll be sure to date a girl with a more solid and grounded name. Goodnight."

"That was fun." Petra put her game controller away. "I beat you three times in a row!"

"Only because you elbowed me right when I got close to the finish line and made me crash," Levi accused.

"It was an accident!"

"Uh-huh, sure it was."

"Do you want something to eat?" Petra stood and moved to the kitchen.

"I could eat." He carefully stepped over Erwin and Hange's tangled legs. They'd gotten into a drinking contest and eventually passed out on the adjacent couch.

"What did you get on your assignment?" Levi asked while the leftover pizza was being heated. "Was my sacrifice worth it?"

"Stop acting like a martyr. And yes, my grade, partially thanks to your nudity but mostly to own hard work, has risen to a passable level."

"You never showed it to me, the drawing." Levi was curious to see it.

"I didn't think you'd want me to. It's in my room if you want to see it."

Much to Levi's relief, Petra didn't have the drawing out in the open for the likes of Hange to suddenly come in the room and see him in all his glory.

His relief, however, was short lived.

The first thing that caught his eye was the pose. It was very...porny. That was really the only way he could think to describe it. He most certainly had not taken such a provocative position, but Petra had clearly let her imagination run wild with his body. But it wasn't just the pose that made him gape stupidly.

"What is that?" Levi demanded, eyes narrowed.

Petra looked at her work. "What is what?"

"That." He pointed at the drawing, more specifically, the offending item between his legs.

"I would think you'd know what that was considering you have one and it's yours."

"Except it's not! That's a...it's a...it's like a fucking acorn!"

"No, it's not."

"Are you blind, Ral?" Levi was so deeply offended.

Petra laughed. "Okay, okay, I drew this as a joke." She pulled out the actual one. "I see you much prefer this one."

"If I'd been wearing a towel or something around my waist it would have been okay." At least she got his proportions right. In the drawing, his expression was much more confident and almost alluring. "Is that how you imagine I look at you?" He teased.

"Don't be silly. I was just using my artistic license."

Levi flipped the page. Then another. And another. "I'm pretty sure these are more than the assignment required."

"I was bored," Petra replied, shrugging.

"So your thoughts constantly turned to my naked body? I mean, my hot naked body," he said, smirking. "That was what you said."

"Only because you were acting like a girl with low self-esteem," she retorted. "I took pity."

"You still have a lot of naked drawings of me." Levi studied them and came to a decision. "The next time you fuck up, I'm giving you a taste of your own medicine."

Petra rolled her eyes. "Levi, you can't draw to save your life."

"Doesn't mean I can't try."

"It's still not happening. Ever." She folded her arms.

"We'll see."

In the end, it did end up happening.

But under circumstance they both much rather preferred and enjoyed.

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