Chapter Text
Mistos was a swanky Mediterranean restaurant built on a cliff that overlooked the Pacific. The deck was mostly empty. Levi idly watched the yachts below. Their billowing sails were white specks against an infinite cobalt canvas. It was sunny today. Light reflected off the waves; a more sentimental person might pause to admire the sparkling display but not Levi. This entire situation was shitty. Why did Erwin and Hanji think it was a remotely good idea?
The sun was directly overhead now. It cast a glare on the synthetic sapphire face of Levi’s watch. He frowned. 12:05. The short man could be patient when necessary. Levi trusted Erwin wholeheartedly; nevertheless, he now regretted acquiescing to this shitty meetup. If this “Petra” person did not show up within the next five minutes, he was definitely leaving. Blind dates were stupid. 12:09. The meeting had been scheduled for noon. Levi’s perpetual frown deepened. He rose and shrugged into the sleeves of an ash grey jacket that mirrored the hue of his irises.
A rapid clicking of heels against tile caught the man's attention. A young woman with light apricot hair was dashing toward the table like her life depended upon it.
“I-I’m so sorry! I’m sorry for being late. My name is Petra Ral.”
She was met with a glare that could silence a packed auditorium. Elevated by cork wedges, Petra stood exactly eye to eye with Levi. They were less than two feet apart. His stare did not falter. Petra eventually looked away, tightening the grip around her clutch. The other hand rested on the waist of a tweed, taupe pencil skirt. She scooted into a chair. With an irritable sigh, Levi followed suit. He held high standards for himself and the people around him. Petra was undeniably pretty. However, that meant little as she had yet to win his respect.
“You must be Levi. My old biology professor, Ms. Hanji, mentioned you.” The slightly flustered woman smiled kindly. Her hair ran a couple inches past chin-length. It framed Petra's face nicely. She tucked a few flyaways behind an ear. Levi noted that his date had very delicate wrists and long, slender fingers. Despite her nervousness, the young woman continued to smile. Petra unfolded a linen napkin. She gracefully placed it on her lap.
“Well, I wouldn’t trust everything that comes out of that mad scientist’s mouth.” The sentence was followed by an uneasy stillness. A waiter arrived with two menus, a basket of bread, water, and a saucer of olive oil containing minced garlic. Petra broke off a piece from the freshly baked loaf. She dipped it into the oil before popping it into her mouth, chewing slowly and contently. The young woman gestured for Levi to help himself.
“...That’s unsanitary. I’m not going to eat a piece of bread that you’ve already touched. I hope that you washed your hands,” responded Levi. The inflection was scathing. He skimmed the menu with disinterest. Hanji had suggested this establishment. The food had better be good. Levi flagged down the waiter. When prompted if they would like an appetizer, Levi responded with a steely glint that froze the server's tongue. Prolonging the meal was pointless. The waiter had better think twice about parading around with the dessert tray after lunch. Levi didn’t like sweets, anyway. “I’ll have the rack of lamb with couscous and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot.”
“May I please have the Greek chicken salad with extra feta cheese? I’d also like some seltzer water,” chimed Petra. The waiter collected the menus, promising to deliver the meals shortly.
Petra dabbed at the corner of her mouth where a crumb clung to shimmery peach lip gloss. “Ms. Hanji said that she attended Berkeley with you and your boss.”
“What else did shitty glasses tell you?” Despite the apathetic tone, the enunciation was pleasantly smooth. Levi sat with his legs crossed.
“That’s all I know.” Petra made a bitter face as she took a sip of lemon water. Nevertheless, her lunch date wore an even sourer expression. “Ms. Hanji was my favorite professor. She was also my mentor. I graduated from Stanford last spring with a degree in biology. Have you ever visited the campus? It’s gorgeous, especially in the fall,” ventured the strawberry blonde.
“No interest.” Levi crossed his arms. The man's pupils were razor sharp beneath half-closed lids. “It’s amazing that I got into Berkeley considering my seedy high school years. I didn’t apply to any private schools. There was no way in hell that I was incurring a $200,000 debt upon graduating. Fuck student loans.”
The waiter returned with the drinks and entrees. He refilled Petra’s water before making a speedy exit, visibly shrinking beneath Levi’s intimidating gaze.
“My father helped fund my education. I’m really lucky to have his support. We kept in touch via snail mail when I was in the dorms. What do you do for a living?” smiled Petra. She speared a very plump kalamata olive. Her eyes softened. When Levi realized that he had been admiring their golden color, he shifted his attention to the juicy rack of lamb on the table. The savory aroma stirred his appetite. Petra must have been hungry. She was nearly halfway through the salad, having already eaten the chicken sliced on top.
“I work for the Trost Oceanographic Institute. Erwin is the president of the organization. We survey stretches of ocean floor that have remained largely unexplored. Most of research requires unmanned submersibles but we also conduct human dives. It’s weird. There’s so much that we don’t know despite the advances in modern technology. Big ass monsters like giant squid and gross tube worms live down there, too.” He neatly sliced the meat grilled with rosemary, oregano, and garlic. It was tender. “At least the food doesn’t taste like shit.”
A quiet crunching could be heard across the table. Petra appeared to be enjoying her croutons. “It’s a shame that humans are polluting the sea. I like snorkeling and surfing, but I’ve always wanted to go scuba diving off the California coast. Maybe I can get certified someday.” Those honey orbs glowed with happy hopes and dreams.
Why did he feel inclined to help her? Levi was under no obligation to see Petra after today’s lunch date. But perhaps Erwin was right. He needed a change of pace. Expeditions were costly, requiring both private funding and government grants. It had been months since Levi’s last dive. Most days were a mundane nine to five in a cubicle. That had gotten old fast. Levi carefully considered his response. He wasn’t one to go back on his word. “This is my business card. Our facilities feature a deep pool that is used to simulate missions. I can teach you to scuba after work on Fridays. Bring a wetsuit. We have extras, but sharing is just nasty.” He shuddered involuntarily.
Levi
Atmospheric Diving Suit Specialist
Trost Oceanographic Institute
104 Maria Road, Los Angeles
(323) 555-DIVE Ext. 22
“No last name, huh? How mysterious.” A grin illuminated her entire face. She looked cheeky yet angelic.
Levi tore his eyes from Petra’s mischievous smile and studied the sailboats with sudden interest. He swirled the merlot in its glass. It was a smooth, controlled motion. “Don’t expect me to go easy on you. Training require discipline. But it’s worth it. Do what I say and you will become an excellent diver.” The words were meant to be encouraging but the delivery was devastatingly flat.
Petra took a swig of ice cold seltzer water. “Thank you for offering to teach me. I promise to work hard!” Her jaw was set with determination and purpose. She met his intense gaze without flinching.
“Good.” A smirk tugged at otherwise stoic features.
The pair shared a comfortable silence until it was interrupted by the return of the waiter. He collecting their plates and placed a bill on the table before scurrying to the kitchen.
Levi drew a wallet from his interior jacket pocket. It was forest green with a double winged motif. Adept fingers skimmed through various debit, credit, and membership cards until they grasped a Mistos gift card. It had been a Christmas present from Hanji last year. Technically, it was also a birthday gift. Being born on December 25 sucked balls.
Petra had unclasped her clutch. She placed $36.43 on the plastic tip tray without looking at the guest receipt. Levi raised an eyebrow. He was impressed by her perceptiveness; the Stanford graduate had remembered the exact price of the Greek salad, lamb entree, and wine. She calculated the tax, included a 15% gratuity, and divided the entire cost by two. “Let’s split the bill. You can pay my share next time!” she laughed.
Would there be a next time? Another lunch date?
Definitely.
____
Levi loosened the double Windsor knot around his neck. He hung the tie inside a steel locker.
“I figured that I’d find you here,” said a tall blond with a deep side part. He smiled knowingly. Erwin Smith was wearing a sleek, black double breasted suit that accentuated his broad shoulders. The president was holding a stack of manila folders. Apparently he had just come from a meeting.
Levi merely hummed in response.
“You know, that Haruka Nanase kid tried to break in again last night,” mused Erwin. “That’s the third time this season.”
“Why don’t you hire better security guards, then. Did you want me to kick his ass? I’m not a babysitter,” he scoffed.
That shit-eating grin didn’t disappear. Fuck.
“I know that you have more important things to do, Levi. I’ll have Eren Jaegar take care of it.” The blond leaned a shoulder against the locker. “So, Hanji tells me that your blind date was a success. She owes me $100 for losing a bet. I know you better than anyone,” commented Erwin. His inflection was so damn casual; it was maddening. “I heard that you’ve taken Petra under your wing. You’re going to teach her how to scuba dive?”
Levi’s fingers paused on the second button of his meticulously pressed shirt. Calculating grey eyes flashed to meet equally calculating blue. The president was a formidable strategist, always two steps ahead. “Is there a problem?”
“We won a grant at the board meeting this afternoon. There will be a deep-submergence vehicle mission in two months. If it goes well, we will wear atmospheric diving suits to gather more data.”
“... I see.”
Levi was an expert with the ADS. He was considered the best deep sea diver in North America. However, expeditions were still risky. It had been a while since the last mission due to federal budget cuts.
“As long as it doesn’t interfere with your job, your date is welcome to train here.”
The shorter man rolled his eyes. They both knew that nothing came between Levi and his work. “I’ll have her certified within seven weeks.”
“Excellent.” Erwin patted his subordinate on the shoulder. “Conditioning is important but don’t overexert yourself. It’s not a crime to leave the institute before six,” admonished the president in parting.
“Hmph.”
The locker room door clicked shut. Levi pulled his buttoned shirt over a hanger. He unlaced a polished Italian shoe with a pensive expression. It had been a long day.