Chapter 35: New Same Old

Right after that first night, Nora had started sleeping in their quarters again. Alone. With Levi back amongst the living and recovering, basically living in the ward fell somewhere right between awkward and questionable. It hadn't exactly helped her sleep those past two nights; next to fear—her constant companion ever since all this had happened—guilt ate her up as soon as she was on her own and could hear herself think. Not only because Connie had died on a mission she had pushed for.

But also because he was gone, and she'd got Levi back. Despite the hole Connie had left—one more, and it never hurt any less—she was herself again. She wanted to live again. She wanted again. She could not help how, as soon as she saw Levi, the broken pieces that were left of her came together, keeping at least some warmth inside.

Her squad mates were glad they hadn't lost the captain, as well, but target practice yesterday had been nothing short of a disaster. They all had become misty-eyed, no exception, and barely a word had been exchanged. Even Sasha—or especially Sasha—had missed her shots.

Then, at night in bed, the moment Nora finally managed to drift off, her nightmares would run rampant. Not a single shifter dream, either.

She saw Connie die, saw it as vividly as she had when it had happened. The devastating exit wound, the contents of his head—the blood, the brain matter—just… spilling out. His wide-open, blank gaze.

And immediately after, the airship followed. If she was 'lucky', the dream would only begin there. It started painfully close to reality and got progressively worse. Everything she dreaded come true. Levi would collapse, and the blood wouldn't stop spreading all over the floor, drenching her shins and knees. She would feel it streaming hotly over her hands, watch his face become entirely bloodless, and then, finally, feel his very last heartbeat. Powerless to do anything to stop it. Powerless to heal him as she could heal herself.

That was when she would wake up, usually by her own dry sobs. They were no more than an echo of what happened to her in her dream, and mercifully all that crossed the threshold to the waking world. Once she fully got hold of reality, again, she was simultaneously so relieved and so devastated it was hard to make the dry sobs stop.

She would never have thought that she'd wish for her usual nightmares, one day. She'd take Bertolt's memories over this any day. Hell, even those of her mum.

Anything but the hell she had so recently lived through and was, in several ways, still living.

Nightmares might be nothing new to her, whether they were memories or her fears. Nevertheless, she had found a whole new level of understanding for Levi's. So deeply rooted in reality as none other; not only about the past, or fears, but about that one single moment; in her case, the worst fear come true. Haunted not by something that might happen, but by something that had happened and could happen again, in one way or another.

Connie wouldn't come back. He couldn't die again, but any of her friends could. While Levi… he might be infinitely harder to kill than anyone else, but she could still lose him so easily, and what it would do to her, how it would tear her apart, wasn't something she had to imagine any longer. The worst pain that had been and could ever be inflicted on her was so fresh in her mind she felt its repercussions in every fibre of her body. She could only hope the deep, gaping wound that was her inside would eventually become a scar. And what an ugly scar it would be; this wound couldn't be stitched up.

If what had happened on that rooftop had done to Levi something close to what she had experienced, she could once again only marvel at his strength. Right after she'd come to on the Wall, all he had done was update her on the developments, all factual, then start a fight with her, then go right back to business. No teary breakdown. Like, for example, hers: a full-on snot-fest on his shoulder. Not to mention everything he had thankfully not witnessed, when she had been at her absolute worst.

She was such a lost case, while he had his priorities at least somewhat straight. Yet, he hadn't judged, or told her to pull herself together. He had just understood. It's not fun, is it?

And his nightmares, he bore silently. Maybe it was for the best that they currently slept separately.

Regardless, first thing after forcing down a few bites at breakfast—if she didn't have training—she would grab some tea and a few pages of Ayad's research and make herself comfortable in the hospital ward. Seeing as Levi had nothing else to do except slurp said tea and stare at her—which unnerved her but, luckily, was bound to get old very fast—he sometimes read the documents with her, scowling and complaining how what he could decipher of that "garbage" made "no fucking sense".

There were indeed several problems with the scientist's notes. First, most were handwritten, and his scrawl was barely legible at times. Second, a lot of it seemed to be formulas or terms they had never heard of, or abbreviations they couldn't make any sense of. Third, everything from that cupboard Levi had torn open was written in a script they had never seen.

At least they'd got an explanation why Ayad would so willingly let them take his precious research.

What little they understood indicated that he had—among other things, surely—experimented with different kinds of titan serums. And numbered "test subjects". How nice.

In short, without his cooperation, they'd hardly get anywhere, at least not quickly.

Hence, Nora was taking the doctor with her to meet up with Hange and Levi in the hospital ward. Just to talk, for a start, maybe get an impression of his intentions, and if they could be used to persuade him to cooperate along the line.

"And you two try not to threaten him, for now," Hange had cautioned the day before.

Preposterous. As if Nora or Levi would ever do such a thing.

What they'd do if Ayad wholly refused any voluntary cooperation—the most reliable kind—was something they neither wanted nor had to discuss yet. However, because her brain was exhaustingly thorough, Nora had several ideas already, although coming up with them hadn't been any fun since Levi had woken up. Which he only had because of that surgery.

Drat. She simply refused to be thankful to the git. Quelled each annoying little spark of gratitude. He had saved Levi's life for his own agenda. Who knew if the next thing the doc did for himself would be to their advantage?

Her two superiors were already waiting when Nora pushed the door open, ushering Ayad in.

As he ought to, Levi was sitting in bed, but back to clean-shaven and wearing his own clothes, again: black trousers and a grey shirt, the two upmost buttons undone. The familiar sight made Nora's heart flip.

Hange shot up from her chair next to the bed, offering it to their 'guest'. Knowing her, she'd rather stand, anyway, too wired to hold still whenever something new and interesting came up. Nora plonked herself down on Levi's mattress near the tail end of the bed, dangling her feet. That way, the four of them formed a sort-of circle, providing her with a good view of Ayad's face—not that she was particularly talented at detecting lies through facial expressions. She was better at catching them by finding flaws in their logic.

The doc was a bit chubby and rather short. Between Hange and Levi, height-wise. He had light brown skin and short, curly black hair streaked with grey at the temples, standing in every which direction. It didn't look freshly washed. He didn't seem interested in putting up the effort for daily shaving, either, instead nurturing a dense stubble. Height aside, Nora called this look the 'anti-Levi'.

Ayad was the one to start the conversation, evidently not intimidated. Probably less with each day, considering that he'd already chatted with Hange a few times, had his sodding window and got proper meals and books for entertainment. None related to science, of course, and no newspapers.

He was all but ogling Levi, from the bandage around his head down to his hips, as if he could see right through his shirt to the bandaged wound hidden beneath. "By all means, you should have died of your injuries, right then and there."

"I'm sorry to disappoint," Levi deadpanned.

"No, no. Anything but." Ayad smiled, eyes shining with worrisome excitement. They were of a warm, very dark brown colour. "Were you informed of the extent of your injuries? Most notably that I had to remove a part of your liver?"

Levi gave a nod, unaffected. He stomached all sorts of news rather quickly. "It's not like I need the whole damn thing."

Nora burst into laughter, all-out belly laughter that almost had her double over. Bull's eye, almost word for word.

When she looked up, she found three sets of eyes—or rather, two and a half—fixed on her, expressing varying degrees of bewilderment. Ayad came on top, likely because he didn't exactly know her.

"I'd like to know what's so funny about chopping off a piece of one of my organs, so I can laugh with you," Levi said dryly, still mildly perplexed and curious instead of offended.

"Nah." Nora rubbed the corners of her eyes. "That's an inside joke if I've ever heard one." And wasn't it the most marvellous thing that her little speculation had come true, that Levi was in the state to say it, to say anything? To be so utterly Levi?

His standard frown returned. "You're such a deranged pain in the ass."

Ah, but she had never appreciated that one enough. And the "deranged" was, in particular recently, a fitting addition. She beamed at him. "I'm doing my best."

A muscle in Levi's cheek twitched, frown deepening.

Ayad's eyes flicked back and forth between them, forehead creased. "Alright," he said, drawing out the word, "now that that's settled—whatever that was—I meant to ask, considering your nonchalance on the subject—" He was addressing Levi, his tone suggesting polite interest. "—do you get in a habit of injuring yourself to a life-threatening degree?"

"Moron. Would I still be alive, if I were?" Levi didn't bother putting any bite in his voice—or anything at all, really; he wasn't even looking at the doc, instead staring at a random spot between him and Nora. Contemplative. Analytical, even. "Maybe I bit off a little more than I could chew, this time. It was a bit more crowded than I expected."

The last remnant of Nora's amusement died. "'Maybe'? 'A little'?"

Levi gave a half-shrug. "I didn't die."

Heat flared in her chest; when she spoke, her voice had plenty of bite. "No, you just came about as close as is possible and survived because the man we kidnapped was crazy enough to offer his help, and I was crazy enough to take it." Better call it 'crazy' than 'desperate', she thought.

"And what else should I have done, in there?" Levi shot back. "Did I miss the part where you had a better idea?"

The heat spread to her face as she glared at him. Bastard. That wasn't the point at all.

But before she could respond, Hange intervened. "I'm sorry, doc," she said lightly, indicating Nora and Levi with a dismissive flick of her hand. "These two wouldn't recognise manners if they slapped them in the face."

Ayad's lips stretched into a sarcastic smile. "I am just pleased we put those pesky death threats behind us." He gave Nora a very meaningful look.

Alright, she couldn't fault him there. She might have threatened him, once or twice. Or maybe four times. But each was one hundred percent justified.

Good thing Ayad didn't elaborate.

Do you really have no idea what people are willing to do if it's about someone they love? Levi had asked her over half a year ago. Challenging her. Are you really that ignorant?

She understood now better than she ever had. Which was saying something; she'd long since had more than a vague idea of all the things she might do for him or because of him. It scared her and made her a lousy soldier. Case in point, said death threats to the valuable captive sitting opposite her.

"That reminds me," Ayad said, eagerly leaning forward in his chair, inspecting her closer. "Please, do tell me which of the Nine Titans you are. The Female? The Armoured? The Colossal? We had no idea you were in possession of titan serums. Though, not any longer, I suspect, since you asked for them in the facility."

"Don't tell him," Levi ordered sharply.

"Oh, really? Whyever not?" Nora rolled her eyes at him.

He squinted at her as something seemed to occur to him. "How does he even know you're a shifter?"

"He saw me get shot."

"Ah. Of course, you got shot. And of course, you kept your shitty mouth shut about this." His voice was calm, not matching his scowl.

"I forgot," she said truthfully.

"You forgot that you got shot?" Not so calm anymore, and it did nothing good to her own temper.

What was his bloody problem? He knew about the absolute shitshow back in the facility, and he knew about after—to a certain extent—and he got hung up on the fact that she had forgotten to mention a gunshot wound that had lasted for, what, maybe two minutes?

"What can I say? I was a little distracted," she said, voice acrid. "And it's completely irrelevant."

"Yeah, because it wasn't your brains." He leaned forward—rather sluggishly—and poked her forehead. She swatted his hand away successfully. "No matter what it seems like."

"Are they always like this?" Ayad asked, preventing Nora from throwing several select swear words at her prick of a boyfriend.

"Oh, yes," Hange said, wiping her hand over her face in resignation, heedless of her glasses. "But it seems they have quite some catching up to do."

Ayad was still surveying Nora with open curiosity, and slowly but surely it was becoming quite unsettling. "Not what one would expect after witnessing her mental breakdown when he—"

"Shut up," she hissed, her heart contracting, then picking up a faster pace. Heat shot to her face, and she couldn't help glancing at Levi. What she found was worse than what she had expected.

He didn't ask, didn't give her the questioning look she had feared. Instead, his eyes were stony, jaw etched with tension. Not as if he was assuming what Ayad was talking about—but as if he knew exactly. But how could he? Besides, he surely would have said something, maybe given her shit for such egregious behaviour during a mission—and she'd be lucky if it ended there, if her weakness didn't repel him; this was very different from a little crying session after everything was over.

Nora probably interpreted too much into Levi's barely-there expression, but it set her teeth on edge, unease gnawing at her stomach. Better block that little incident out quickly, or she'd try to stuff that "mental breakdown" right back into Ayad's stupid big mouth.

"You mentioned the serums," Hange said, bringing the conversation back on track. "Can you make them?"

"In theory, yes. With her help." Ayad tipped his chin toward Nora.

"Help?" Levi echoed, his death glare now solely focused on Ayad. "I suppose you just need her cheerful nature for moral support? Don't even think for a second you can cut her open just because she regenerates."

"I'd need her spinal fluid. A shifter's spinal fluid. It wouldn't be pleasant, but it wouldn't harm her. No cutting involved," Ayad was quick to supply, shifting his chair back a little, farther away from Levi. The doc seemed a tad intimidated by him, after all. "But I doubt you have the tools I need. For instance, at no point during the manufacturing process can the serum come into contact with air or it—"

"Will evaporate, yes," Hange said.

"For my work in general, I suspect your equipment leaves much to be desired. To mention only one example, I would need a modern microscope you most definitely do not have. Also, there are specific instruments and other supplies that—"

"Are you for real?" Nora said, incredulous. "You think we're even considering letting you near so much as a tweezer when you've been here for barely more than a week? And your immediate cooperativeness is so suspicious it's funny. Do you realise that you are our captive? You're supposed to hate us, you pillock."

From the moment they had barged into his office, Ayad's shortage of fear and hatred had taken her aback. His reaction was unprecedented, nothing they were used to from any other Marleyans. The man was a cocky bastard, yes, but she supposed his background and occupation played a significant role in his unconventional stance on Eldians. However, shouldn't anyone hate their captors, at least initially, as had always been their experience? If Ayad did so, he certainly hid it well and was a damn good liar. For fuck's sake, he was placing orders for laboratory equipment.

As she considered this, it dawned on Nora that she might have been overhasty in calling him out on his apparent cooperativeness; he hadn't explicitly stated that he wanted to cooperate, that he would share a single thing with them. No, he only wanted the means to do his research. At most, he had sort of consented to making them serums, in exchange.

Ayad raised a thick, black brow at her. "Might I remind you that you already let me near a tweezer, among less harmless things, and that it certainly wasn't to your disadvantage?" He skilfully and conveniently ignored everything else she'd said.

"Don't deflect." And stop bringing this shit up. Her eyes narrowed. "I likely won't believe you, but why would you help us?"

"Other than to avoid bodily harm of an unknown extent?" Instead of expressing worry, as he ought to, he gave an airy smile. "I don't particularly care which nation; I simply want to do my work."

"Which is?"

"Complex," he evaded. "And here, I might even have access to certain research materials I was lacking in Marley." A greedy glint entered his eyes as they wandered from Levi back to Nora.

Her suspicions were confirmed; at present, he wasn't inclined to provide any substantial information. When he talked about wanting to do his work, there was definitely more to it than 'just' the research he'd been doing on Marley's order. Something specific. The man had his very own agenda. After all, he didn't care about the nation, right?

"Let's just see where this leads," Hange said—probably the only one in the room capable of diplomacy. "We'll have a few more talks, see if we can find common ground. You obviously won't share your knowledge or your goals with us, yet—not without getting something in return—so maybe we can help each other out. I think we need to start building a little trust on both sides, wouldn't you say? Then, we can grant you the same rights the cooperating Marleyan POWs have. And someday, we might just get you your equipment."

"And when do I get my research back?" Ayad threw a longing look at the corner table that held some of his documents.

Hange gave him a toothy smile. "When you tell us all about it, of course."

"Provided you aren't full of shit," Levi added.

Pouting, Ayad waved his hand at the two of his abductors occupying the bed. "You two aren't exactly the most trusting or appreciative people I've had the pleasure to meet."

Nora barked a single laugh at his audacity. "Well, excuse me. You made it abundantly clear you didn't give a flying fuck about helping him." She jerked her thumb to the side, in Levi's direction. "You only cared about preserving a biologically modified, superpowered human with a generous pinch of titan in him." She ignored Levi's sour expression. Not a fan of her perfectly accurate, point-blank description, then. "Which is fine by me, makes perfect sense, but don't expect me to thank you for it."

Ayad had the nerve to smile, inclining his head. "Fair enough; your logic is sound. Worked out more than nicely, though, wouldn't you say? Everyone wins."

#

As soon as she returned from escorting Ayad back to his room, Nora strode to the paper-laden corner table. "That nice little chat with the twat reminded me…" She rifled through the newspapers and research, pulling out the single page with the article Hange had shown her days ago. "Any idea who might have leaked it?" She waved the small piece of paper in Hange's and Levi's direction.

From the chair she had reclaimed, Hange looked over her shoulder, mouth tilting into an insufferably smug grin. "Now look who suddenly cares."

Nora grimaced, avoiding Levi's gaze—which she felt as acutely as she'd felt him poking her. "Yeah yeah. So?"

"What's this about? Give it to me," he commanded, stretching his arm in her direction. She complied swiftly because it very much looked like he would get up otherwise. He snatched it from her, narrowed eyes scanning the page. It took only two seconds for his expression to darken—and she was the immediate target of his glare, of course. Angry-captain mode. "Why am I only hearing of this now?"

Nora had the infantile urge to stick her tongue out at him; the man had already pissed her off enough for today. She settled for a snide remark instead. "Shouldn't have slept so much."

"Shitty brat." He crumpled the piece of paper in his hand and threw it at her—hitting her forehead dead centre, naturally. Without transition, ignoring her muttered "fuck you", he said, "It could really have been anyone in the whole regiment, not to forget the bigwigs in the Garrison and MP who know as well."

Hange folded her arms in front of her chest, considering the ball of paper on the floor. "Question is, was it just an accident, or for the sake of gossip? Someone got careless after a few glasses, and an outsider leaked it, then? Seems most likely, considering how many knew. But if not, would anyone on the inside gain an advantage from making this public knowledge? Thing is, it couldn't have been money, since it was an 'anonymous tip', according to the article."

"It depends on if whoever they are has a problem with how the leadership of the Scouts—or the military, in general—handles this war," Nora said thoughtfully, pinching her chin. "In which case, that person might either be just a spiteful arse or actively seek to cause us trouble—and they potentially could, letting everyone know, Volunteers and Marleyan POWs included."

Only an Eldian who didn't agree with their methods would have done it on purpose. Who else would be willing to risk providing Marleyans with an advantage in this war? If this someone was from the Survey Corps, Floch would be the most likely candidate. This was a whole lot of speculation, though; Hange was probably—and hopefully—right and the culprit was a random soldier with a too-loose tongue but no ill intent, just as Nora had been waiting for. Not that they could verify it. Sure, they could ask Floch, and potentially be lied to in return. And doing so without a real reason wouldn't win them any sympathy points with him and his clique. Despite his rebellious, aggressive nature and big mouth, Floch was a capable, highly motivated soldier. Better to just keep an eye on the git, for now. Nora was certain that Hange and Levi thought no differently.

"So the question is if we've got a complete moron or a traitorous shithead on our hands," he said flatly. "Great."

#

When she came bearing tea, the next morning—before breakfast, this time—Levi had just sat up, propping his pillow against the metal headrest of his bed, his movements slower than normal. Careful. Yet nothing in his grouchy expression indicated any physical discomfort; his pain tolerance was as otherworldly as the rest of him. Nora remembered how he had barely even twitched when she'd stitched him up way back when.

Still, it was hard to watch, seeing that something was so obviously not right. It was even hard to look at his bandages. It wasn't hard to look at him, though.

His gaze followed her as she sat down in her chair, handing him his tea.

"Thank you," he said, utterly sincere—which could only mean he really, really wanted his fucking tea.

"What are you smiling for?" Levi grumbled.

"Just appreciating how polite you can be when it comes to tea," Nora told him over the brim of her cup.

"Tsk. I'd be stupid not to. Currently, I'm reliant on you for my tea supply."

"I'd never torture you like that. I'm not a complete psychopath."

"Didn't know even you have your limits." He ran his hand through his hair, tugging the strands free that had got caught in the bandage.

The state of his hair since he'd wound up here must be the worst case of bedhead she'd ever seen on him; almost dying and spending five days in a coma, followed by continuous bed rest, tended to do that to you.

Usually, Levi had no tolerance for such untidiness, and all it needed was a few minutes in the bathroom after leaving the bed and every strand would be back in place, on its best behaviour as if even his hair did not dare disobey him—when he wasn't bandaged and mostly bedridden in the hospital ward all day. It was almost a shame; the bleary-eyed, dishevelled look suited him far too well. His bedhead was simultaneously the cutest and sexiest thing. Pretty much the only application of the word 'cute' when it came to Levi—cute in the same way a wild animal might be before it bit off your outstretched hand. Nora always felt the urge to dive her fingers right into his dense, disordered, pitch-black hair, and kiss him senseless, morning breath be damned. She couldn't always resist doing the former, but refrained from the latter, mainly for his sake. Even though the lack of clothing on top of it didn't help one bit. Really, it should be a crime to look this irresistible first thing in the morning, especially since she, on the polar end of the spectrum, probably resembled a scarecrow.

For a while, she simply indulged herself, warming her fingers on her teacup and soaking up the sight of him as he was staring into space and sipping his tea. Tousled black hair falling over his bandage, sharp jawline, the circles and creases beneath his hooded eyes. Their clear grey, the way they were tilted up at the outer corners. The soft curve of his lips, usually flattened or pointing down at the corners, except for the rare moments he wasn't frowning. Those soft lips she could barely reconcile with the hardened man before her, yet the contradiction somehow made perfect sense—if one knew him as she did.

It hit her once more; she had him back. Fuck, she had missed him so much. It was strange how you could spend twenty-four hours a day by someone's side and still miss them so acutely it tore your heart to shreds, bit by bit. And now that it was over, her heart was desperate for recovery. It was a slow and agonising process, and looking alone wasn't strong enough a painkiller; she missed him still. Deep in Nora's chest, frustration was building and building with each passing day. All their bickering yesterday had only made it worse—why did fighting with him always make it worse? She felt like every inch of her was itching, an itch she couldn't reach on her own because it was beneath her skin, and she craved—she needed—and her night had been exceptionally awful—but he was far from well—

"Oh, sod it. Can I please kiss you?" she blurted anyway. When Levi's brows furrowed at her—in surprise or displeasure, who could tell with him—she added, stammering, "I know it's selfish to ask, and if you're in too much pain it's—"

"Shut up and come here." He put his cup on the bedside table, his eyes suddenly much less tired and very focused, fixed on hers.

Her tea was forgotten immediately. Nora's pulse picked up in eager anticipation, and time seemed to slow down. Once she had both hands free, she stood up, and before she could make that last step, Levi pulled her in by her forearm. She ended up sitting sideways on the mattress—and their mouths met before she could get her bearings.

The first soft press of his warm lips elicited a sigh from her. The exhaustion, the stress, the fear, their surroundings, the past week of deprivation—everything fell away, leaving only home. With everything she had, she forced herself to go slow and be gentle, even as Levi let go of her arm and rested his hand on her hip. She so badly wanted to bury her hands in his hair—but no: the bandage, the wound below. Better be safe than sorry. Instead, her trembling hands cradled his jaw, feeling the slight early-morning-stubble.

He was the one who deepened the kiss the moment they had established a heady rhythm, he was the one who slid his tongue into her mouth and found hers. Burying his hand in the hair at the back of her head, he pulled her even closer, lips slanted at an angle that melted them together seamlessly. Hence, the desperate sound she made could not escape between them. The hot and soft feel of him, his bittersweetness, took away what little self-restraint Nora had left. She tugged his lower lip between her teeth, nibbling. Tasting and feeling with the tip of her tongue. A low, gravelly sound emerged from deep in Levi's throat, raising goosebumps all over her skin, and gathered between her legs, hot and heavy.

His lips separated from hers, and he murmured into her ear, "As long as I have a mouth left and we don't have any guns pointed at us, you can kiss me. I don't give a shit when or where. Don't annoy me by asking." The huskiness of his voice undermined his reprimand while heightening the intoxicating effect it had on her.

Caught in a greedy trance, Nora started trailing kisses along his jaw. "Then why didn't you?" she whispered against his skin.

"Because it's a little masochistic at the moment, wouldn't you say?" Every single word oozed sexy, vibrating through her body. The way he said 'masochistic' should be forbidden.

The hand on her hip moved, lightly squeezing the cheek of her arse. She cursed into his neck.

"I'm so worked up already, and you're making it worse." She nipped at his earlobe.

"Your fault, brat," he said with some difficulty, sounding as breathless as her.

Nora pulled his open collar to the side, peppering slow, openmouthed kisses down his neck, to the base of his throat, to his collarbone. Covering every square inch of bare skin she could reach. It was like trying to catch up, like she had lost him and she could only make it right, get him back, by claiming everything of him anew. Like a person possessed. She was hooked on Levi-skin, warm and smooth, and his scent and taste, filling her nostrils and mouth and addling her brain. And the delicious baritone of his voice, making her body sing.

"I can't seem to stop," she breathed into the crook of his neck in-between her kisses. They were only a surface-level treatment, though, temporary and too shallow, not even skin-deep. Like drinking water when one was starving.

"Too bad," he only said, sliding his hand from her buttocks to the back of her thigh to between her thighs, his touch burning hot even through her trousers, and so, so close; close enough that the sparks reached.

Don't, she wanted to say. Please, she wanted to say. "Shit," she said.

She worked her way back up to the corner of his mouth, pausing with her lips just barely touching, the contact feather-light. His hand between her thighs twitched.

"We'll have to finish this another day," she whispered, and wanted to scream in frustration. If she stole just one more kiss, this would really escalate, and it was almost time for breakfast. Meaning, they'd totally get caught. That aside, he was still very much in no state for…

It caused physical pain when she pulled back; she was throbbing between her legs, and so was her heart. By the looks of it, she wasn't the only one suffering; Levi was pinching the bridge of his nose with the thumb and middle finger of one hand, scowl back in place, lips once again a grim line.

Nora flopped onto her chair, crossing one leg over the other. Firmly. "This was the best worst idea I ever had."

"Told you. Masochistic." The threat in his intense gaze was undeniable when he captured hers. In a dark voice, he promised, "Next time, I won't let you off so easy."

All she could do was swallow, squeezing her legs tighter.

AN: So I finally, finally finished editing this long-arse bastard of a chapter and my main takeaway is: Levi's bedhead deserves its own fic.