"I will be back soon. It shouldn't get me long to get your ice cream before you turn completely crazy."
Those were the last words Hanji Zoe heard from her boyfriend Levi Ackerman as he left their little apartment and was now dashing to his car since it was raining and the weather was in short pretty awful. But he still decided to go and make a quick errand to the nearest supermarket since they were out of some groceries and Hanji was graving her favorite ice cream she always needed after having completed a long time of overworking herself. Afterwards she always wanted to just rest and give him, her poor understanding lover she neglected the attention he deserved, cuddling with him on the sofa and eat her favorite ice cream or feeding him a little as well before they would disappear in the bedroom for some more loving attention from her side to him.
Time past and Levi was still gone. He was late. Way too late. Hanji looked outside the window, watching the rain falling down onto the earth and staring at the street. Her brown orbs scanning each passing car if it was Levi but he never came.
"Where is he...? Is the shop not having everything and he decided to go to another one?"
Mumbling to herself she tried to ignore the nagging feeling of worry building up inside her.
One hour later and Levi was still not back. Hanji tried calling his phone but nothing. Now she couldn't ignore her worry anymore passing from one room to another. Debating if she should call their friends in the faint hope he might be with them she almost jumped as her phone in her hand started ringing. Levi's name appeared on the display and Hanji let out a sigh of relieve.
"Levi! Where are you!? Do you know how worrie-"
"Ma'm are you Miss Hanji Zoe?"
"Huh?"
Turning quiet Hanji's relieved expression on her face disappeared. On the other line was an unknown person.
"I am... why are you calling me on Levi's phone?"
"Ma'm please listen carefully and stay calm. I am from the Eldian Hospital in Sina. Your boyfriend Levi Ackerman had a car accident he—"
"WHERE IS HE!?"
Hanji cut in, in a panic now.
"He's alive. He is at our hospital in Sina."
"I-I am on my way! S-should I take anything with me!? Or I-"
The person, probably a doctor tried to calmly talk to Hanji again.
"For now please just come to our hospital. More information about his health we will give you there."
Hanging up Hanji grabbed her raincoat from the stand, her house keys and her car keys for her own car. She was so glad at this very moment they owned two cars because of work.
She wasn't really thinking about anything during the whole ride to the hospital. Not even as she entered the hospital and made her way to the reception desk or how she asked for Levi and his whereabouts.
Blindly without thinking much besides over Levi, she wandered through the hallways in direction to the intensive care unit.
His voice how he called her, his blue gray eyes, his raven hair, his loving touch when he kissed her, when he was embarrassed, when be was angry, cleaning, sad, all of those moments swirled in her head as she reached a waiting area and a doctor approached her suddenly.
"Miss Zoe?"
Getting up from the chair Hanji walked up to the doctor, her expression displaying worry.
"That's me! Can I see Levi!? Where is he!? What is with him!? What happened!?"
"He's currently still in surgery I am afraid of."
"Surgery?"
Hanji's eyes widened.
"He got into a car accident. A person drove over a red light and right into his driver side... he got some inner bleeding's we have to take care off in the surgery along with a broken leg. He has a few cuts we cannot say yet for sure how much they will heal and some other mirror injuries. His right eye luckily seems to be still intact what we could say for now. He was still awake as he arrived at the hospital and told us to call you as his close person because he has no family, is this correct?"
Hanji gulped trying to calm herself down and letting the information sink in.
"Y-yes. I am his only family you could say. We are living together and dating since a few years.."
"But you two aren't engaged or married yet. I see. Usually we can only allow family members to see him but since he has no one else..."
"Thank you very much doctor." Bowing her head Hanji followed the doctor to where she was supposed to wait until Levi would be done with his surgery and she could see him hopefully in his room.
Hours later Hanji finally got called to follow another doctor. Apparently it was the doctor which did the surgery on Levi. He filled her in on his current status.
"He's stable for now but due to his injuries we put him in a coma for a few days to let his body recover in peace. Please don't feel scared if you see him Miss. He's connected to many tubes and monitors to watch his body functions but this is standards procedure in the state he is in."
Hanji nodded and followed the doctor as she got lead inside a room. And there she saw him. Lying in bed, sleeping and covered almost everywhere with bandages. Stepping closer slowly Hanji leaned over the bed and carefully touched his left cheek with her hand gently.
"Hey..." Hanji smiled a little down at him.
His right side was covered fully with white bandages. The doctor explained to her he had a long gash over his whole right face side there and over his eye even. Luckily his eye is not damaged according to them.
Tubes came out of his arms and a tube was still in his mouth for him to breath. The monitors around his bed monitored his heart rate, his oxygen and everything else of importance.
"If he heals according to our hopes he will maybe already tomorrow get woken up by us and we can remove the tube in his mouth."
"Okay, thank you doctor."
Hanji's eyes traveled to his bandaged hand wanting to hold it, freezing in place seeing two fingers were missing.
"He unfortunately lost in the accident two fingers on his right hand. But otherwise he is in a rather good condition considering the car accident." The doctor explained as calmly as he could.
"That's good..." Taking his injured Hand into both of her hands gently she held his hand. Five fingers or three fingers as if this would matter for Hanji. "Doctor... what about the other person which run into my boyfriends car?"
"I cannot tell you this. But... he's alive as well. The police will come soon too for some questions and in regards if you want to do any charges against the person."
Hanji was quiet. She really wants to press charges at the asshole for what he did to Levi. A part of her even wished he would be dead. He deserved to die. He could have killed a whole family too or children just because this person decided to drive recklessly. But for the sake of Levi she swallowed her anger. Being by his side was more important.
Hanji waited until the doctor left her and Levi alone before she spoke up to him.
"What are you doing Levi... I am supposed to be the reckless one in this relationship remember?"
Pulling some strands of her out of his face Hanji leaned over and kissed his forehead lovingly.
"Take plenty of rest Levi. I will take care of you this time."
A whole day passed and Hanji had never left Levi's side. She had fallen asleep on the chair and to her luck none of the nurses or doctors kicked her out.
She was always by his side as they checked up on him, as they changed some bandages or gave him some other medical treatment.
"He is recovering well. At this rate we can tomorrow free him from some tubes and monitors and wake him up."
At this Hanji lit first good thing she had heard since long. Yesterday she had spoken to the police and she got told the driver was heavy drunk... a single person called Zeke Yeager. And the worst thing of all was he was only lightly injured compared to Levi. He never apologized to her too just left the hospital already in the morning after one day of staying.
"Thank you so much doctor. I am very glad. I was so scared of loosing him. Even after I was told he would make it.." her gaze shifted to Levi on the bed and she couldn't help but smile. "I just couldn't leave his side... even not now I want to..."
"It's my job to help my patients. He's a lucky person to have someone which loves him so much as you do Miss Zoe and stays by his Side."
At this Hanji blushed.
"Well, he's my boyfriend and we are living together so..."
"Is that so. Still I have seen many cases as soon as they saw their friend or lover in such a state they could not handle it and run away. Especially if permanent injuries are involved."
The doctor finished his checks on Levi and made his way to the door to leave the couple alone. However before pulling the handle he stopped and glanced one more time backwards.
"We are all just having this one life... I am sure he's doing his best knowing someone is by his side. Someone's presence always helps our patients to recover. I will come later again to check up on him."
Hanji nodded and thanked the doctor one last time before she was again left with Levi alone.
"Sleeping beauty one more day huh?" She chuckled while caressing his hand she was holding again with her thumb. Her brown eyes wandered to his 3 left fingers and rested on his ring finger he didn't lost. "... just one life... we do love each other a lot, right Levi? We know each other for many hears now too and you won't get easily rid of me even if you will have a scar face, eight fingers only or some other permanent problem. I have read and know a lot... I could just learn becoming a nurse too, you know?"
Hanji joked knowing very well Levi wouldn't answer her. The silence however gave her enough time to think about what she wanted to do next.
"You want me to prove you I am serious you cannot get rid of me? I will go and get something I think then. I will be back really quickly. Just a quick trip home."
Getting up from her chair she leaned over and kissed Levi's forehead before she quietly left his room. Hanji was determined to do it now. She just needed to get home and pick something up from her belongings.
Sometime early in the morning the doctors decided to wake Levi up from the coma they put him into. They removed all tubes he didn't needed anymore and did some last checks before they left the room. Hanji was told she should call them immediately if he had some changes in his condition or showed signs to wake up.
So all Hanji had to do now was wait.
"Please wake up soon Levi..." she whispered while sitting like usual next to his bedside.
She didn't know when it happened and didn't even register at first as besides her Levi's fingers twitched ever so little before his eyes carefully and slowly fluttered open.
He blinked once than twice, looking up at a unknown white ceiling. He felt like he had slept for days and yet he still felt like shit.
Shifting his body a little Levi had to notice it pained him a lot and he stopped, groaning silently.
What happened?
His vision was smaller than usually too. Was something covering one of his eyes?
Lifting his right hand up to his face he stared at the bandages and the tube coming out of his hand and going somewhere, connected to a bottle which dropped something slowly into him. A infusion... Levi thought quietly.
Touching his face he confirmed having half of his face bandaged up as well.
Then suddenly it came back to him. He remembered what happened. He was out for grocery shopping, he was on his way home already as a car crashed into his because this idiot drove over the red light with fast speed.
His gaze wandered to his hand again, this time examining it closer and grimacing. Two of his fingers were gone, the bloodied left remains hidden under the bandages.
What caught his eye just an instant later was what was on his ring finger. A simple silver ring. He remembered this ring seeing it once in Hanji's little jewelry box in her bedside drawer. Saying it was a memento from her mother or something and to give it either to her children in the future or the person she loved the most.
"Damn it... shitty glasses.."
Cursing with a hoarse voice because his throat felt extremely try Levi heard some murmuring sounds and he shifted his head to the side to finally notice her.
Next to him was Hanji, sleeping peacefully with her head rested on her arms on his bed.
A small smile tucked up his lips upon seeing her. She looked like a mess and must have stayed the whole time here for him. Waiting for him to wake up and yet as he does she is the one sleeping.
Reaching with his other hand out to her Levi touched her cheek and pulled some strands of her brown hair out of her face.
"Hanji..."
The soft and gentle sensation along with being called by her name made Hanji shift and she opened her eyes. Her brown orbs welled up in tears as soon as she laid her eyes on him.
He was awake and alive. He called her name even.
"Levi... LEVI!"
Sobbing now uncontrollably Hanji leaped over the bed and hugged him.
Levi groaned and felt Hanji immediately pull back in a panic but Levi reacted quickly, putting bis left arm around her torso and pulling her back to him but into a lighter and less painful hug.
"I am fine Hanji."
"You aren't fine at all! Don't do some shit like this ever again!" She wailed into his neck.
Leaving couldn't deny it. He was in a bad shape and so just stood silent and let her cry.
After a moment until Hanji managed to calm herself a bit down she lifted herself up enough to press her lips against his. It was sudden and unexpected but felt so good for Levi.
Feeling Levi kiss her back, being able to respond to her actions overwhelmed her and she could just feel herself cry again.
Breaking apart for needed air Hanji gazed into his eyes simply, everything she felt and wanted to say conveying to him with just looking at him, hoping he understood.
"I'm not going anywhere. Besides you tied me down to you already, right?"
Lifting his hand up with the ring on his finger Hanji's cheek grew incredible hot.
"That was-... I almost had lost you so- I was thinking waiting any longer is stupid. It's not like I force you- I wanted to ask properly after you woke up if you want to mar!?"
His hand was placed over her mouth to prevent her from speaking.
"Tch, I want to marry you too. The only thing which is upsetting me is I should have asked you and not in this way."
Pulling his hand away from her mouth Hanji grinned amused seeing Levi's upset and troubled expression. He was always the perfectionist and wanted to be the one proposing to her in the future. He was so cute.
"And as you should know I don't really care about things like this." She grinned at him and wiped her eyes with her sleeves. "I have to call the doctors. They said as soon as you wake up they want to know..."
"I see."
Levi watched her walk out of the door. Soon after he let out a long heavy sigh while he let his thumb trace over the ring on his finger.
How was he going to do this now?
A lot of time passed and lots of different examinations later Levi and Hanji were finally alone again. Levi eyed Hanji from the bed and how she looked extremely tired yet she sat there on her usual spot next to his bed and replied to some messages about Levi, telling everyone he woke up.
"Hanji when was the last time you slept in our bed and took a shower and ate something? You look ready to fall over from the chair."
Looking up from the phone Hanji scratched the back of her neck and averted her eyes from him.
"Well... I stayed with you always in the hospital and before the car accident you know I had several days overworked myself so-"
"Get home and get some sleep Hanji." Levi cut her off and scolded her.
"But-"
"No. I will take a nap too and rest and you should too. And eat something and take a shower. I bet you didn't take one either."
Pouting Hanji noticed just by his look with his one eye and bandaged other side of his face that she had no chance to ever change his mind.
"But if anything happens call me. And I will come back after I took a few hours of sleep."
"I will. Just go and take care of yourself as long as I am like this."
Hearing the little disappointment in his voice Hanji chuckled and gave him a long and lovingly goodbye kiss.
"Take care Levi until I am back to annoy you. You will be able to take care of me again soon enough since you won't get rid of me ever."
"Good." Levi smirked a little and pulled her back down for another short kiss before he let her go and leave the room.
As soon as she was out of the room Levi pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
Levi waited, cursing as he had to switch his hands because he by accident was about to hold his phone to his ear which was covered by bandages.
Hearing a familiar voice finally appearing Levi was glad, almost having given up there since it took so long.
"Erwin, you have time? I need your help. It's urgent."
It took about an hour as Erwin arrived in the hospital and knocked at the door to Levi's room.
Levi called him in and sat up with the help of his pillows into more straight position.
"Glad you could make it Erwin."
"Levi what are you doing ending up like this. As Hanji told us what happened we got pretty worried."
Observing his great friend since many years by now, Erwin sat down on the chair Hanji used to be sitting on.
"I didn't asked to end up into this piece of shit condition." Shrugging Levi looked at the bag Erwin had with him. "You brought with you about what I asked you?"
Nodding Erwin opened his bag and revealed a notebook, putting it on Levi's lap and turned it on.
"I am surprised you asked me to help you with this. How come you got the need to propose to Hanji all of a sudden?"
Rolling his eyes Levi lifted his hand up so Erwin could see the ring on his finger.
"Because shitty glasses made the move before me while I was acting like sleeping beauty."
Erwin's mouth gaped open.
"So she proposed to you? And why do you need a ring then if you two are already engaged?"
"She didn't propose to me. She just put the ring on me while I was asleep. So before she asks because I know she will ask me properly I will ask her. But I need a ring to do this."
Explaining the obvious to Erwin while browsing the Internet on a jewelry shop having the rings he sells online to look at, Erwin chuckled amused by his friend. But he was happy for him and his friend Hanji to have finally decided to tie the knot.
"You know her ring size?"
"I do. I am no idiot. I got her once a ring as present... and don't worry Erwin I will pay you back in an instant transferring the money to your bank account."
"I don't mind. I'm glad to help out my two friends. But make me your best man."
Erwin joked while Levi merely scoffed.
"I want to be engaged to her not get to the church in the next few days."
"I bet you want to have a wedding however. To see Hanji in a white wedding dress will be a sight to behold."
Levi blushed. Damn Erwin for messing with his brain and let his imagination wander to a happy looking Hanji walking slowly and happily up to him and the wedding music was playing.
"Shut up Erwin. I can't concentrate if you talk over stuff like this."
Erwin raised his hands in defeat.
"Sorry, just tell me when you are done and what ring I have to pick up for you."
After 7 hours of sleep, a shower, changing her clothes and a good meal Hanji rushed back to the hospital. It was already very late so she needed to make it back inside before the visiting hours ended. If she was once inside she could always stay with him overnight with some pressure to the doctors and nurses. Luckily he had a single room and this was possible.
Opening the door quietly to Levi's room in case he was sleeping Hanji let herself in, surprised how dark it was inside. Levi had only his desk lamp on and the little light the window let in still from outside.
"Levi?"
Calling his name out Levi jumped in surprise and quickly put away a small container behind his back.
"I see you are back."
"What are you doing Levi?"
Hanji asked and walked up to him.
"Sit down."
Patting next to him on the bed Hanji did as Levi wanted from her, curious what he had planned out.
"And now?"
"Now..."
Reaching out from behind him Levi pulled out a red rose and handed it to Hanji.
Hanji blushed confusion clearly writing over her face now.
"Levi... how did you..."
"Tch, don't stop me now. It does not matter who helped me, right?"
Reaching a second time behind his back Levi pulled out a small box behind his back and opened it, revealing a simple but pretty silver ring with a few small stones inserted inside the ring.
"I know I can't do anything flashy in this situation and this is a hospital room but I wanted to at least do it as properly as possible." Looking up into her eyes he smiled a little.
"Will you marry me, Hanji Zoe?"
Hanji clearly felt her heart skip a beat or two and nodded quickly.
"Yes, you short perfectionist idiot. Hundred times yes!"
She had to hold herself back to bounce into his arms and not to crush him in the process.
Holding her hand out Levi slowly put the ring on her ring finger. A perfect fit.
Pulling her down with his good hand tangled up in her freshly washed hair, Levi kissed her. Hanji found his injured hand and carefully intertwined their fingers together.
"I love you Levi."
"I love you too, my Hanji Zoe or soon Ackerman?"
Hanji chuckled.
"Hanji Ackerman doesn't sound so bad. But really who helped you?"
"Who do you think? Erwin of course."
"Of course our friend Erwin was it. I have to thank him later."
"Later but now I only want you for me..."
Climbing into bed Hanji carefully lied down next to him on the little space she had and cuddled with him.
Be it a few fingers less or a few scars on his body Hanji would always love her little man. Forever and ever.
