Chapter 45:

Go Back to You

-x-

Levi is not one for begging for attention and if he is to do is just even ask for a bit of attention to be given to him, he has no idea how and what to do.

He was actually expecting to get any form of attention from Hanji throughout the day even just a tiny bit but she still acted as though they did not spend the last hours together last night up to the morning of the day together, naked and interacting even through little conversations.

They both passed each other along the busy corridors of the school but she did not even eyed him or looked at him. What more for a smile or just even plain curving of the edge of her lips for him that he had been craving?

Despite the high amount of denial in his system, he still cannot remove the honest feeling of want.

From her.

He attempted to even sit with her one time in the library as she read a few books but ended the opposite of his expectation. With just one look at him upon his arrival on the table she is in, she immediately took her books and left without due.

The same happened in the cafeteria when he asked Mike to tag Nanaba along with him no matter what happened so he could get to eat with her but ended up having her eat with her clubmates like the usual, which he had stupidly forgot. He then ended up losing his appetite and just drank an orange juice instead.

Despite he too can't imagine himself doing such thing and making himself feel absolutely ridiculous but once he remembers her and their bond and friendship he just can't let her go away that easily. As much as he wanted to be busy with his college applications and his scholarships, he can't just seem to push the thought to ignore he and Hanji's friendship, which he might not say out loud but she deemed seem to be more important than any other things now because he might still deny it but his body and his life has been more affected more than he could ever think.

And it is because he has only her.

And Mike of course as a loyal friend.

At some point, he wanted to give up on her, most especially if he could clearly feel and see that in just a short few days, they are about to graduate. He can feel the pressure coming into him in being able to study for college but a different feeling is pressing into him even more every time he would remember or even see Hanji. Heck, even her voice is enough to make him feel like a dick again.

And just a few more fucking days to go, they are about to go up in the stage and claim their certificates, their diplomas as graduates.

And he hadn't even make her utter even just a simple and short fucking 'hi'.

Damn his life sucks, he thought. He just kept on failing and failing.

The day went into more horrible shit, as much he would not want it to be.

One afternoon when Levi came to the brothel but was surprised to see when things does not look the same as usual. Heck the feeling inside was different as well. The brothel owner is not in his usual table, no music is playing, no one is around and everything is just awfully quiet and dark.

Once getting inside his room, he is surprised to see a number of men of at least five of them and had the brothel owner down on the floor, mouth gaged and hands tied behind, eyes screaming in horror as he made entrance.

"Just who the fuck are you supposed to be?" he demanded in his cool voice, hiding any sign of worry and uneasiness.

"A husband." A tall and a bit fat man came to forward and spoke. "A dedicated, hardworking man with a good background, with a stable and good paying job and properties that no one could have." He continued on as he walked forward and stopped a meter away from Levi.

"And you, a dirty little scumbag who fucks my wife better than I do, as what she claims as well as hundred others" he started and Levi saw the other men gather behind the one who spoke, looking as though they are preparing for something.

Levi then realized immediately as to why they are preparing. As much as he wanted to remember who the hell his wife that he claims that he had fucked tremendously well, he knows that he needed to prepare himself well for what is to come because they don't seem to be the usual, typical ones along the streets of night.

"I wanted to teach you a lesson for ruining our marriage!?" the man exclaimed in an angry tone, little tears forming in the end of each eyes. Levi has already forgotten about broken relationships due to his work but he is always informed that they are all single and ready to fuck and fuck knows he just wanted to earn money and has no other choice.

He guesses he had forgotten how to be considerate.

"Well forgive me sir for fucking your wife but I assure you that I am just doing my job, no intention of being a home wrecker. If she wanted to be fucked by other men, I believe that that is no longer my problem." Levi explained but knows that his explanation is not very pleasant to be heard by a broken hearted husband.

"You fucking son of a bitch!" he yelled out as he charged Levi with a knife but successfully nudged off his hand painfully, causing him to be disarmed and followed by a hard punch on the face. It was only Isabel and Farlan who knew of his capability to fight and protect himself and learning and excelling how to wrestle helped him a lot too.

After the big guy came the others did the same in which Levi successfully eliminated.

He kicked his chair towards another incoming man while he ran and took down the other followed by a big heavy punch and kick to the gut. A sharp slice of pain came into his back and he shouted in agony and was followed by a hit on the head by surely a heavy metal object will without a doubt would cause him a bump. When he regained composure, he saw the man who sliced him in the back and hit him in the end and stood.

"Fucking pussy" Levi exclaimed breathlessly and touched his back. He saw blood upon seeing is hand in front of him.

He gave the man a painful kick in the abdomen followed by a knee in the face and a hard elbow behind the head, making him unconscious. Upon turning on his back, he gave a swift back kick and a roundhouse to another man and gave a flying superman punch in the other, making his nose bleed like hell. Another man came with a thick wood and Levi successfully absorbed the pain upon being hit on the arm and gave him an upper cut on the chin and a hook on the other side of his face, giving him a bad cut.

After seeing almost all the nasty men were down, Levi was trying to compose himself up again when a metal object (was it a bat? He wondered) slammed him hard on the head, knocking him unconscious. All of a sudden, hard kicks were down on his ribs, chest and abdomen while a series of punches were delivered to him in his entire being. He could only cover himself very slowly and lightly, not even doing him any good. He even started to gush out blood from his mouth and feel pain everywhere his body.

"Serves you right, asshole!" the same sound of voice echoed on Levi's ears as he slowly moved in pain which was halted due to the burning smell that came entering his lungs.

It was smoke.

"Now you will die a slow, painful death, you good for nothing bastard!" said the same man and kicked him in the head as he still couldn't lift himself up on his feet.

He heard the heavy footsteps left his room, leaving him alone to die in the now starting fire inside. With a heavy groan, he lifts and balances himself up in his aching legs but cannot properly breathe in the good usual air.

And the temperature is becoming painfully high.

"HELP!" he yelled out. "ANYONE STILL THERE!?" he coughed heavily, the smoke not only giving pain in his eyes but also in his lungs. He knows that he should get out but due to the pain, it become gradually heavy.

"Fuck" he murmured. He needed to move fast since the fire is already spreading like hell. Iif he is to die, at least he gave his best in life and did not gave up.

At least he has that thinking to be proud of once he sees his mother in the afterlife.

"Shit" he cursed as he moved towards the window, seeing his door already succumbing into fire. Opening the windows while his room is burning might be a bad idea but the smoke is getting thicker and thicker, his body heavier and heavier and his eyes even more painful, he slammed back into the floor again.

"This is it" he bitterly spit out from his mouth together with some blood when heavy and big hands came in contact with him, carrying him and putting him in their shoulders.

"Not yet, small dork." A familiar voice came rushing his hearing belonging to no other than "Mike" Levi whimpers, a small smile forming in the end of his lips.

"I don't know what the hell happened here but I'm getting both of us out." He tells him and started moving.

Mike stated to get what he can grab. He immediately grabbed his school bag and found a duffle bag and threw all the things he saw from his dresser and immediately threw everything inside his bathroom, including Levi. As Mike was about to close the door, Levi crawled and tried to lounge back and stopping him from doing so.

"Under the bed" he muttered huskily at Mike. "I need to get-"

"The hell Levi!?" Mike scrambled and is about to panic and break down. The fire is already gulfing on Levi's bedroom door going to the ceiling but seems to be thicker from the outside of the door.

The smoke is also getting thicker and darker. If they stayed any longer, they might not make it out alive.

"Hanji—" and Levi pointed under the bed, coughing once again. With a shrug and half-hearted, Mike went back and went directly towards under the bed. He held his breath and immediately found what he guess Levi is pertaining to, all thanks to his long arms, and finding a long box about a meter long though.

Looking around which he could barely hold his eyes open and carefully but swiftly went straight back towards the bathroom but took a towel from the top of Levi's bedside table and had it wet on water and quickly tie it around his face and another he gave to Levi.

"Hold it straight to your mouth so you can breathe." Mike instructed and parted the curtains and opened the window. He threw Levi's school bag and duffle bag as well as the box, earning an irritated remark from him after hearing scrambling sound from inside the box.

"Oi! Be careful you beast!" Mike has no idea why in the world Levi is so overprotective of the box but he can't even comprehend why it troubles him more than the fire going outside of the bathroom where they are in.

Seeing the window, only Levi's things made through it and Mike would need to break and remove the entire window panel for them to be able to make it out. With his might and outmost strength, he was able to tore the entire window panel from where it is placed, making it look like a rectangular hole in the wall. Seeing and pleased that it is enough, Mike threw Levi outside carefully, landing immediately on the ground. Mike then followed, his legs were the first ones he places on the hole and felt the ground under his and pushed his entire body right away.

The two of them gathered enough air before Mike fully stood up and observed the place. They are already in the back of the building and saw ambulance, fire fighters and police cars gathering by. He knew well that if they are seen, they are going to be detained for questions and investigations, most especially that the place is partly illegal in nature of its services.

So Mike gathered Levi's things and fished out his phone and texted Nanaba.

Hey Nana, I need help. I have Levi and he needs a place to crash. Call Hanji and tell her to that I'd meet her in her small ranch house by the lake asap.

Seeing another police car came and hurrying, Mike immediately places his phone back into his pocket and helped Levi stand and walk back into his feet because even with his height, he is still heavier than usual.

With still shaky breaths and a need to drink, Mike calls for a cab and places Levi, some of his things and himself immediately inside.

-x-

Mike will see you in ur little ranch house by the lake Hanji, he needs help. ASAP.

Hanji was shaken and surprised of the text message that Nanaba sent her. She can't help but wonder, what in the world happened to Mike? Is he okay? Is he in a really bad situation that he can't afford to tell and inform her himself?

No matter what happens, Hanji is ready to welcome and help Mike out. He has been a good friend to her as well as a good boyfriend to her best friend. Right away, she made her way towards their little home ranch by the lake and not long after, Mike arrived.

And she did not expect to see Levi towed by Mike and looking oddly in a bad shape.

"Mike!" she screamed out and run towards him. "What happened?" she asked, startled of what she is seeing.

"Look" Mike started off and Hanji noticed the way he smelled and the way he looked. Something definitely happened and good thing Mike did not waste any minute and explained right away. "Some men beat the shit out of Levi just a while ago and put the place on fire. He is lucky enough to have me get him out right away and escape from the police's questioning us as well."

Hanji listened as she opened the door and helped Mike put Levi down in the dusty wooden sofa and places his bags on the floor. Hanji saw how badly Levi had gotten and can't even comprehend as to how he had gotten in such situation. By the looks of his painful cuts and darkened bruises, she guesses a large group must have attacked Levi.

But for what cause?

"Who would have done that?" she asked, frozen due to shock. She might still be a bit angry at Levi but she won't deny that it had subside a bit, as much as she wanted to deny, but can't help but feel bad seeing him in this kind of situation.

"I don't know but I am guessing the others inside the brothel might have already died as well so maybe the person who did this might have some sort of grudge over the entire brothel." Mike deduced and fixed Levi properly on the wooden sofa.

"But why would they have beat Levi that badly?"

"I honestly don't know Hanji" Mike breathed in and let out a small cough. "We will have answers once Levi wakes up."

Their conversation was cut due to Nanaba's arrival. She was frantically screaming for Mike's name and running endlessly for her life.

"Mike!"

"Nanaba we're here!" yelled out by Hanji and once she steps foot on the doorway, Nanaba instantly embraces Mike and cannot help herself but kiss her beloved. Her laugh seemed to be of nervousness but she is mostly relived to see her man back in perfect shape. Afterwards, she gave Hanji a hug and settled down but was surprised to see Levi and what had happened to him.

"Some group of men came to burn the brothel down and might be the ones who had beaten Levi, but I'm not sure." Mike explained to Nanaba who had calmed down a bit.

"You guys stay here for a while, I'd get some things from our home first then I'll be back here." Hanji announced and prepared herself from doing so. "I'd get you some water Mike"

"Thanks" he muttered gratefully. Once Hanji has gotten out, the couple gave each other another affectionate kiss and talked.

"Levi is lucky to have you around Mike" Nanaba started and gave Levi a pitiful look. "Now where is he going stay?"

"He should be thankful about my missing other sock that I left there and decided to get it." he recalled, the smaller blonde immediately comprehending the importance of that little sock.

"Did you get it?"

"I did" he said with a low laugh. It was his favorite since Nanaba gave it to him as a present for Christmas and does not have the heart to lose it just like that. "I saw some beaten men going out of the brothel and once they are gone, I immediately went inside and saw Levi's bedroom door burning."

"You saved him just in time" Nanaba remarked proudly and gave Mike a squeeze in the face.

"I did but the fire also spread fast. I don't even know about the others inside the brothel but I saw the owner down on the floor in another room and I no longer had the time to check him out again." He recalled and continued to retell what had happened and how they went out successfully.

"I am just hoping that Hanji could keep Levi here and persuade her parents." Mike said in hoping tone despite feeling still unsure whether they would take in Levi or not.

"We could only hope and explain it to Hanji" she tells him. "I have a hunch that she had fixed their misunderstanding a bit and hopefully she would talk it over to her parents, most especially if they are already fully acquainted with Levi."

"What?" Hanji came, jogging back and entered.

"Here's a clean pair of bedsheet and pillow case because Levi will not be able to sleep on a dusty bed and some water" she continuously blabbered, forgetting that she just asked them what they were talking about.

"Thanks Hanji" Mike remarked and the two girls watched Mike gulped to the last drop of water the bottle has.

The two blondes also watched Hanji as she let out some more things that she had brought along with her backpack; an emergency kit, two more bottles of water, some rags, a clean towel and some biscuits.

"Help yourself out on the biscuits" she tells the two blondes in which the two immediately chewed on. "You can take a bath there if you wanted to Mike but I can't guarantee you that the bathroom is clean."

In the middle of what she was doing, she suddenly remembered the last time she and Levi had stayed here which was a couple of months ago.

Back where things is not yet shitty and fucked.

Levi had maintained cleaning the place since he cannot tolerate staying there for some time seeing it dirty but the months they had left it on its own again had turned it filthy once again. But some of his cleaning things are still inside the said house and is still good enough to be used.

Then an idea came into her.

"I am going to ask my parents to Levi stay here" she mumbles and her two friends stopped from chewing their food and looked at her, surprised. She also looked back at them surprised on the expression that they gave her.

"That's what we had in mind and were talking about a while ago before you came here back, Hanji" Nanaba expressed with a smile, in which her best friend also did.

"I mean, I don't think he has any place to stay right?"

The two girls then looked at Mike as though he had been guilty of something. "Not mine" he said and raises both of his hands. "As much as I wanted to help him out, I don't think my grandma is going to be good with it, she might think of other things and nagged at me every single day."

"See?" Hanji lit up and Nanaba stared at her best friend. "I just need to talk it out to my parents later I guess." She continues but her best friend thinks otherwise.

Being her long time best friend, she could feel and see that Hanji has other things in mind.

-x-

The three of them then helped each other out in fixing the dusty bed as well as the other appliances and things and dusted them off as well too.

It took them more than an hour just to sweep and dust off everything as well as to clean the windows and the bathroom of the house. Afterwards, Mike carried Levi who is still unconscious and places him on the newly made bed. Upon doing so, the couple slightly murmured amongst themselves as Nanaba looked into her wrist watch.

"Hanji, it's getting late. Me and Mike needs to go." Nanaba declared as Hanji realized that she doesn't have any choice but to let her friends go.

"Sure, thanks for helping out in here." She said warmly and beamed to her two friends. After they gathered their things, they both hugged her and bid their farewells.

"Text us right away if you need something" Mike assures her as he squeezed her goodbye.

"Sure will Mike" she responded with a smile.

Not long after her friends were gone then she realized that she was left alone with Levi, not even sure how she is going to deal with his bruises. Unbelievable enough, those two did not even leave any idea on how she would mend Levi's bruises.

"Here it goes" she tells herself as she inches closer to Levi's sleeping form with a pail of water and cleans his body with a wet towel.

With reluctance and awkwardness, she lifts his shirt off until his chest and started wiping it clean. She reminds herself not to feel awkward about it since she had seen his abs before, heck even more than just his abs. She felt her fingertips first on the layer of his skin and slowly feel it.

She then carefully taps and clean his wounds then places an ointment unto them. She started from his arms, his face and then to his shirt already dried with blood. Her fingers worked awkwardly, touching his cool white skin.

"Hanji?"

Hanji suddenly froze. Levi was waking up due to the feeling of her caressing his skin and she panicked inside, not knowing how she would react.

"Oh" she muttered, eyes widened and carefully observing him as Levi wakes up from a deep slumber. "Levi you're awake"

"Hell I am" he said with obvious sting of pain etched on his face. He was about to feel his face and body when he realized that Hanji has her hand still on his abdomen, the feeling of her fingertips on his skin burning with desire and unwanted feeling but she only clang on and locked eyes with him, realizing what she is doing.

Deep in his thoughts, he thought whether is she really curing him or killing him inside?

He missed this short distance between them as well as the skin to skin contact and then he realized how pathetic he is to the person who now seemed to be important to him.

"Just stay still" Hanji declared in order to lower the tension that is rising. She had seen him change his reaction all too suddenly, unexpectedly seeing them together like that because the last time they were together was when they were naked and had failed sex, acted pretty awkward afterwards and then had a few salty moments of continuously ignoring him as he attempted to talk to her.

Levi in turn just gave her the liberty to do so and decided to remove the shirt for better access. His face bore a painful mark that did not escaped Hanji's eyes and painful groan. Hanji then fixed the way she is sitting and boldly caressed his now bruised body.

"Who did this to you?" she murmured, her fingertips sending haunting sensation on his skin.

"A group of men lead by a bigger asshole who claims that I fucked his wife so good that his ego was shattered." Hanji can't help but smile a little as she continue to clean his wounds and listen to him.

"Afterwards, they all beat me to death but I had them before they managed to sneak out behind me and hit me with a metal baseball bat on my head and knocked me down until they beat me like hell."

"Where?" Hanji asked curiously, wanted to see if he had gotten a bump or a cut and had her hands immediately wonder on his head, feeling his soft strands of hair. Levi felt a bit of tenderness but Hanji suddenly stopped upon feeling a bump and see and felt it.

"A bump but no cut or blood, hope it's nothing bad Levi." She sounded like her former self again and Levi just had her do what she wanted.

"but it is still a bump on the head." She announced gravely and caresses his head for a bump and then went to check feel his chest for any other bad injuries. He won't deny that he was actually liking it.

"At least you're okay and Mike arrived on time to get you out alive. Some minor first degree burns on your leg though."

"Yeah, I will thank the giant" he tells her and let her continue what she is doing.

"I would suggest for you to have your bump checked by a physician" Hanji said and continued to clean his battered body silently for a few minutes and even finished applying an ointment. She decided to clean his face lastly, giving much adorn attention and concentration on his face. His cheeks were imprisoned by her hands and he can't help but close his eyes because he might melt.

He convinces himself that he just misses her but it was so much the otherwise.

He is yearning more of her, and he can't get rid the feeling of wanting to make it up from their failed bed exploration last time. And the more she caress him like this, the difficult he finds it to shove away his ignoring kind of attitude as though he is not interested of her, like he shows to anybody else.

But he does, and it is painfully growing each day.

With a bold move, all strength gathered, he caught her hands and did not let them go. His nose, his face inches so close to her that a wrong move will cause their lips to crash.

And if he is teasing her, Hanji does not like it, even if it is making her feel oddly fond of him.

It reminds her of their kisses, his painful hot touches, his moans….

… fuck it's bad she thought.

"What?" she muttered in a strong voice and tries to maintain her composure to show she is not affected of what he is doing.

"I want to talk to you."

"We are talking" Hanji emphasized and fought off the feeling of liking his husky low voice. This is not doing anything good, she believes.

"I want to say sorry" he exclaimed and Hanji stopped, letting her hands down on her lap. "Beyond sorry for putting you in such pain and for what had happened to you. I know it is my fault but I was caught off-guard, unable to think clearly and chose to sacrifice what we had instead."

"We already talked about thi-"

"I know you have the right to be mad at me but I can't bear to just let go of our friendship just like that Hanji." He wanted to tell her more, that his days are no longer the same without her by his side, that his day seemed different without hearing her laugh or even seeing her smile.

"I know you still haven't forgiven me yet. But please, I hope you could give me a chance to relieve myself." He paused and waited for her to react but she just stared with eyes of bewilderment and distrust.

"And because you are the only one among the people I hurt, who can give me a chance to be a better person. To prove that I am still a bloody person with brain and heart." Hanji understands what he is saying, because Petra and Aurou cannot give him another chance to relieve himself and prove himself as a cleansed and renewed person, and it was only she who could give that chance.

Maybe she is the only hope to forgive him and give him another chance and as though Petra is just there with her, she could hear her whispering to her heart.

Besides the fact that she is just the only one left close to him.

She had made him feel like he belonged to a family.

That she had become almost his everything, just the bestest friend and confidante, even for being his buddy in being his partner in crime.

"I am sorry for being an asshole to you Hanji, you deserve better than that and you did not deserve to experience those things you had felt because of what I have done." Levi felt the heaviness of his guilt and he lowered his eyes on their intertwined hands and felt her warmth.

Unfortunately, she removes her warm hands and taps his face again for a few minutes. He sighed and let her do what she wanted.

And she's going to be honest with it, the way he sigh and give his way and opens himself to give more access to her treatment was kinda… cute.

"There" she muttured and they locked eyes.

Too deep and already a bit longer than usual, Hanji accidentally broke into a giggle.

A familiar giggle that caused him to look up suddenly without second thoughts. He had been too transparent to her and look so weak and vulnerable. He felt so fragile that if she would decided to hit him would make him surely feel immense pain.

But she didn't and he just felt himself being wrapped in a familiar embrace, his face on her breasts and chest, her hands cradling his head as her fingers tug along his hair. He can't see her face and her reaction but being wrapped this way is definitely good.

He hugged her back as well, placing her properly in him as she settles herself in the middle of him calmly. He locked his hands on her back and felt her spine, her body under his fingertips.

Hanji did not let go and allowed them to stay like that for a few minutes.

And Levi hoped that it would last longer.

No noise, no sound, just a moment of serenity to them both.

"You're not an asshole Levi" she tells him and smelled his hair, which smelled still good despite hoping it would smell like blood or fire. "You were also a victim of what had happened and I know you did not want anything bad to happen to anyone" she reassures him, confident of her words that they are spoken in truth.

"And I wanted to confessed that I missed you" she tells him as she crawls down breaks their embrace, though has are still locked on each other. "I miss you and your dead stares and your clean addiction" she pinches his cheek and his nose and laughed on his expression.

"Then why were you ignoring me and act as though I am fucking sick whenever I am around you at school?" he asked in complete confusion.

"I was unsure. I'm sorry" she voiced out and looked away, distant from him and in a whisper. "maybe not yet ready." She added.

"At least…. I think we're okay now right?" she said with a smile.

"Yeah" he agrees and leaned into her hands, busy putting ointment on his face. "Only problem now is where to stay and to work."

Hanji stops from what she is doing and looks at him immensely. "About that, I guess I can work it out with my parents." She said and beamed a smile at him.

Damn how he missed that.

"Let's hurry and wear a shirt, a better one so you can help me explain to my parents." Hanji leaps out of him and packed away everything, leaving Levi slightly confused.

Then he remembered that he should trust her and them together, hoping that whatever she has in mind would work.

"Let's go!" she grabs his wrist and held on his hand going towards the direction of her home.

"Hanji?"

"Hm?" she was surprised to see Levi tugging on her sleeve.

"You didn't just gave me a chance because I am in this kind of situation, right?" Hanji gave him a deep look and damn, he looks like a poor kitty cat.

She wanted say yes a bit partly agreeing into it but she knows it's not just that.

It's because she is finally ready to see and help him have another chance to correct his mistakes.

"Trust me Levi, it's not just that." Levi trusted her words and gave her his remarkable smirk that had load of girls loved, making him look some kind of a bad boy.

And Hanji loved it.

-x-

Notes:

Author's notes:

I actually don't know if I used 'ranch' correctly on a wooden house that is one floor only. As long as it also means a wooden kind of house, that would be it.
Sorry for the confusion just in case.
Trust me, being an MMA enthusiast helped me greatly in composing the fighting part.

Also, sorry for taking a bit of time off and uploading late. I spent 250 USD (13,000 php) on games on PS4 just because I was not able to buy games for a few months and missed playing.

And I have been busy with my study journal too.

Keep safe to y'all.