All things considered it took a surprisingly short amount of time to get Hanji to calm the fuck down, Levi must have quite a bit of experience considering how long they've been friends. Does make you wonder how someone as outgoing and loud as Hanji became friends with Levi to begin with. Leaning against the wall I took in the room quietly, Levi was explaining our situation and Hanji's face was somewhere between confusion and being goddamn ecstatic, at least she'd definitely try to help. The conversation faded to more closed whispers and Levi signalled me to come over.
"Eren there's some shit you need to know, and before you start at me I was in the dark about this too." He gestured to Hanji who was fidgeting like crazy.
"HEY don't put it like that! I was under direct orders, I couldn't say anything!"
"Tsk, direct orders haven't stopped you before."
"Sorry, what the hell are you two on about?"
"Well Eren, I kind of had to lie to you about what happened…"
"Fuck's sake just explain to him what's really going on."
She cleared he throat and after yet another glare from Levi she started explaining.
"When you collapsed we knew something was off… the whole sunstroke thing was as you obviously figured out was just a cover and well Erwin put me up to finding out what was really wrong."
By this point I was torn between bitching at her because she had known this whole goddamn time or staying silent so I'd finally get some answers. I hummed, signalling for her to hurry up.
"It took us a while to find out what had caused you to, y'know pass out and well from what Levi said, you guessed correctly. It was a drug, Bupivacaine, if you're interested. But while the effects of it are considered 'long term' it would have only kept you out cold for 9 hours at most, so well…"
My head was whirling at this, How could they? "You kept me sedated, didn't you!"
"Eren I had to! After the attack and Erwin found out he ordered me to keep you unconscious in order to keep you off the mission!"
"That bastard."
"That shit-bag"
Me and Levi looked at each other, at least I wasn't alone in my outrage.
"Why the hell did he want me off the mission?"
Levi spoke up, stopping Hanji,
"Because he thinks this is more than just an attack on you, that this was an attack on the survey corps."
"Eren if you went on the mission, you'd be at a much higher risk of being attacked and this time they might actually succeed in abducting you, you're safer staying at the fort with Levi."
Whatever Levi was going to add to that was cut off by a loud knock at the door, franticly Hanji looked around before shoving us through to a side room, before shouting something about what the hell do they think they're doing coming around so early.
The room, as it turned out, happened to be a cross between a storeroom and a pigsty. If Levi thought Hanji's 'main room' was bad it had nothing on the piles of notes that we sent scattering as we tried to manoeuver silently in the miniscule space. I hope to hell that Hanji's visitor would fuck off quickly because I was currently flattened against the wall with Levi pressed against me. Every step to the side risked moving more paper and making an unignorably loud noise.
"Fuck's sake Eren just stay still, we'll just have to fucking wait like this"
Shit. I'm not claustrophobic but damn was this closet of a room making me feel like it. And Levi pressing against me wasn't doing any favours.
Way too many minutes later Hanji finally showed up to get me and Eren out, The look on her face when she saw us was haunting to say the least, shitty specs knows more than she fucking lets on, that's for sure. Back in the main room we sorted through some final shit, at least Eren was a bit calmer this time. We took the precautions of having Hanji walk Eren to the breakfast hall, to stop suspicion and I would leave Hanji's room a little after them to ensure Erwin wouldn't catch on just yet. At least the waiting time gave me a chance too cool the fuck down before I had to see the Brat again, god that storage room was torture, surrounded by him and being so fucking close I could feel his chest move. Fucking hell this crush just keeps getting worse. How the hell am I supposed to last nearly a week with just him? Shaking my head in a vain attempt to clear my thoughts I set off toward to hall. This hunger wasn't helping anyone.
The hall was surprisingly full, of course everyone would be up on time, today was the mission. Groups gathered around the few tables that cluttered the room, most just leaned against the walls, balancing their food in their hands. In the corner I could see the familiar brown hair of Eren, leaning against a table with Petra and those other friends of his, Armin and Mikasa? Either way I didn't have time to think about joining them before an annoyingly familiar voice piped up. Breakfast with Hanji it is then.
Despite the situation I had to hand it to her, Hanji is a good actress. As soon as we left her room she dropped any trace of seriousness and adopted her usual happy-go-lucky tone, chatting away at me about a fake prescription to help with some 'illness' or other. By the time we reached the hall I was joining in. With a nudge and a wink she was off, leaving me to grab some kind of food and finally get to stop for a second. Looking at the person ahead of me I was pleasantly surprised to see Petra, usually she eats later than me because of her boyfriend. Claiming a table, we started chatting and my god did it feel to have a 'normal' conversation.
"So how was your first night in the dungeons?" I smirked back at her,
"Oh it's delightful, you know the damp really makes it homely."
"What about the company?" There was something else in her voice, a polite implication.
"Levi? He's not terrible, he even managed a couple of conversations, although neither of us lasted five minutes without being sarcastic."
"Ha! It's nice to see Levi's got someone to match him on that, I think you staying with him will be a good thing, might finally break away some of that harsh exterior."
"Holy shit, can you even imagine him being as smiley as Hanji?"
"Oh my god, No! That's so creepy."
"What's so creepy?" Armin had arrived and set down his breakfast.
"Oh me and Petra were just chatting about Levi, since I'm with him all week."
He quirked his eyebrow and smirked at me, "First name basis already? It's only been a day."
Breakfast is going to be fun.