Bruises

Chapter 5

I do not own Shingeki no kyojin.

They already had spent three hours cleaning the castle and they hadn't finished, it seemed like an endless job. Having to clean every single room in the castle wasn't the worst thing, having the corporal as the cleaning supervisor was.

"Screw you then" Sasha said to the stain in the window rubbing it violently. She sighed, lifting her bangs "Why won't you come off" She pulled her hair as a sign of desperation.

"You can leave it like that" She jerked her head at the sound of woman's the voice "Levi is just using it as pretext to come and check on you" Hanji winked.

"What?" Sasha frowned at Hanji's wicked smile.

"Oh, nothing, nothing" She laughed and left the room.

How weird, Hanji just came to laugh, she surely wasn't expecting that. Why was the corporal coming to check so often? Was she doing such a bad job? Because he had already come like five times. Maybe he was doing that with everyone else.

Sasha continued to rub the stain off lazily, she had already given up, she just didn't want to clean another room. She planned to spend the rest of the time trying to rub off the stain, to show the corporal how committed she was. A quiet laugh escaped from her mouth by just thinking of the plan.

"It won't come off if you don't do it the right way" Her body jerked again at the sound of the corporal's voice.

"I've been trying it" Her eyes widened to show conviction "But it just won't come off" She made a grimace.

"Let me show you" He walked towards the window.

"No, no, it's okay" She waved her hands in a fast, almost aggressive way.

The corporal ignored her, and got near her-way too near in fact- Sasha's stomach jolted when the corporal put his hand over her hand that was holding the brush. She stopped breathing and blushed when he tangled their fingers. This reminded Sasha of one fairy-tail her mother once had told her, the prince did the same to teach the princess how to paint. Yet, she thought, her situation was so different.

Levi started to move his hand in circular way, softly unlike Sasha. The stain started to come off slowly. Sasha could hear the corporal's breathing perfectly, just at the height of her ear.

"See" He interrupted her thoughts "If you do it this way it'll come off"

He kept doing the same for another minute, until the stain came off. When it finally did the corporal patted her shoulder, he even surprised himself for doing that.

"The room that's in front and you're done" He said walking away.

Sasha wondered why had she blushed, that the corporal had touched didn't mean anything, he was only teaching her something. But then, what meant in reality what Hanji had said.

Carrying a bucket and a broom she entered to the last room she had to clean. She sighed when she saw that Ymir and Christa had already started cleaning it.

"Don't just stand there" Ymir yelled at her "Do something!" Sasha loved the warm greetings she always got from Ymir.

"Oh, Sure" She started to clean the only window in the room. Everyone seemed so concentrated on cleaning; they already wanted to finish.

"Hey" She interrupted the silence "Has the corporal come to check your cleaning a lot of times?" She wasn't sure why she was asking this.

"Not really" Christa answered "Just one time" She kept cleaning the furniture.

"Really?" Sasha sounded more surprised than she meant to.

"Why?" Christa asked.

"Well, he went to my room a lot of times"

"Because we're not as useless as you" Ymir laughed.

"Ymir" Christa hit her with her elbow.

"He did, certainly, told me that I wasn't the best at cleaning, though, have you ever talked to him?" She turned around the face them.

For Sasha it was strange that a superior would pay such attention to her. Sure, she wasn't the kind of girl that would go unnoticed, but, it was strange when a person like the corporal had little chats with her. Naturally she wanted to know if she was the only. Just because I'm curious, nothing more, right?

"What do you mean?" Christa had stopped cleaning at her friend's question.

"You know" Sasha stopped cleaning too "Talked to him, have a little chit-chat" She raised her eyebrows.

"Just a Good Morning that's replied with a nod" Christa replied.

"Why?" Ymir stopped cleaning as well "Have you?"

"No" She lied without knowing why.

"C'mon" Ymir dropped her broom "You expect us to believe you?"

"What?!" Sasha laughed "I haven't talked to the corporal, I swear"

"C'mon Sasha" Christa smiled "Tell us"

"Tell you what?"

"What's going on between the corporal and you?" She raised an eyebrow in a suggestive way.

"What do you mean?"

"You know exactly what we mean" They started to get near her.

"Fine then" Although she was excited to tell her friends she rolled her eyes "But it's nothing, really"

"Whatever" Ymir sounded a bit desperate.

"How do exactly tell this?" She scratched her chin and sat on the floor " I've spoken a bit with the corporal, but, it's kind of strange. I mean, we've talked about sort of personal stuff. It's not like I know him but I feel that I do, you get me?" She was hoping they would.

"Is that it?" Ymir asked faking a yawn.

"Do you have any feelings for the corporal?" Christa asked, ignoring Ymir's response.

"What?!" Sasha laughed "No, of course not"

Sasha had never really thought about it. It hadn't crossed her mind. The fact of her having feelings for him seemed absurd, impossible, time-wasting. She knew she'd be a fool if she had any because, it was the corporal who they were talking about. It was true, she liked the attention the corporal pay to her, she liked that he actually talked to her and, she felt a strange, warm sensation when he touched her hand.

"I do like the attention he gives to me" She confessed.

"Just that?"

"Yes" She tried to convince herself "Why?"

"Well " Christa sat on the bed "I know for sure that I wouldn't behave like you if the corporal talked to me" She was looking directly at Sasha's ayes.

"What do you mean?"

"That I wouldn't be wondering if I'm special for the corporal or not, if I get treated differently. All because I don't have any feelingd for him" How did she know?"I'd be honored, no doubt of that, but just that. I wouldn't give it a second thought"

"Yeah" Sasha said weakly "I guess you're right. Still I don't have any feelings for the corporal" She stood up.

"Are we finally done cleaning?" Hanji asked Levi, he just nodded "I thought so. Good thing we're finally eating"

After hours of cleaning, they were done. Every single room was clean. Now they were in a huge room ,with two tables, used as the dining room. He was seated on table along with Hanji and his squad members. He was sure that it was a coincidence that Sasha was seated on the other table, right on front of him. Though, he was sure she hadn't noticed him.

"Hanji" He looked at her "What do you think of that girl?" He said looking at Sasha.

"Who?"She knew that he was going to ask her that in just a matter of time "Braus?"

"Yes" He just wanted to know what she thought of her; he certainly didn't dislike her.

"I think she's a nice girl. She's funny, sometimes without even meaning it and she seems to be useful for the legion. I don't really know her and I already like her" It was true, she seemed fine for Levi.

"I see" He took a sip of his water.

"Why are you asking me?" She was hoping it was because of the reason she wanted.

"Because I wanted to know what you thought of her" He said nothing more.

"Could it be love" Hanji chanted.

"Are you serious?" He rolled his eyes "No, it isn't love"

"Then what is it?" She teased him.

"I'm not even sure" He shrugged "I just enjoy talking to her, I find her company quite enjoyable to be honest"

"And why's that?" She already knew that Levi sort of wanted to tell her this.

"I just feel that she doesn't see me as Lance corporal Levi, besides, she acts pretty natural whenever I'm with her. I enjoy that"

"Then be nice to her"

He was looking at her, when she finally saw that he was in front she waved at him and smiled, he just nodded.

Thanks for reading.