CHAPTER XXVI
The instant he woke up, he took his arm to his face so he could block the light pouring through the window. Puzzled, his brow furrowed when he realized the brightness was supposed to come from a different angle. Slightly drowsy, the soldier moved to his left to get up but the bed's edge wasn't close, and there was a second pillow near him that had a wonderful scent all over it, floral and sweet that he really liked, which actually helped him recall several images from the night before. Yes. You're hugging her pillow and you slept in her bed, you idiot! his inner voice mocked him, although instead of the usual bitter remarks, it sounded unconstrained, even lighthearted.
Levi opened his eyes for real this time and sat up straight, looking all around and noting how tidy everything was there, except for the bed he was occupying. He got up and approached the chair where his belongings were, to get dressed and leave. She sure is already gone, he said, a bit cranky because that night he would only spend two or three hours with her. Better that than nothing, you ungrateful shit, his mind reminded, going back to its usual self. And it was right. So, he mentally prepared himself, resolute to accept it because he knew there was a lot to be done the next morning, including one last minute meeting Erwin offered him to attend at the Capital, where the subject for discussion was absolutely worth it.
However, by the time he was almost ready and took a seat on the chair to put his boots on, he picked up her voice coming from the living room. He'd no way of knowing what time was right then but if she was still there, chatting in no haste, it meant it was still early. But who was she talking to? he wondered, and that asshole's face was the first thing he pictured due to his previous, and not forgotten, anger from last night. He didn't want him any near her.
What if he sees you coming out of her room? his inner voice offered in a pernicious tone, and the soldier felt very keen to do so because of the satisfaction that'd give him. To spit to his face that she was his. So, now determined, he zipped up his boots and walked to the door, grabbing the handle, but stopped right then because he suddenly heard who she really was with.
"Aaahh! Why didn't you stop me?" it was that older lady, her superior, the reproving-looking one that Erwin greeted at the celebration.
Confused, Levi stood there and tilted his head, not understanding what the hell she was talking about that sounded so alarmed. But since it was her, he saw no point on going out; they'd never treated each other but the woman curiously always looked displeased in his presence. And since her visit shouldn't take so long because Elia had to leave for the hospital, just like she should, he wouldn't have to wait much.
"Easy. You wouldn't let me" there she was, and sounded very amused "You practically reprimanded me when I tried, saying you're a grown-up woman, that you knew how to control yourself, and that I shouldn't be scolding you like a child" she was explaining, and he could picture her just fine while probably shrugging at the moment, but then she sighed and continued "I admit I didn't insist because you were having the time of your life. At least, that's what you told me".
"Oh, dear! Please, next time I do something like that, I beg you, do insist" she said, keeping that tragic tone, almost as if she were being tortured "Just remind me about today. Tell me that I asked you to, but I beg you not to let me get drunk again, let alone in public. I don't even remember the last time I experienced a hangover, most likely ages ago".
Now he understood better what was this all about, but the request was incredibly stupid considering her age. People should know their limits and above all, to control themselves. You're currently no better, the voice ironized, reminding him of his recently discovered addiction and how hard was to keep his hands away from Elia.
"Alright, Gris" she agreed. He heard her standing up, heading in his direction so he gave one step back to give her space, but she never walked in. She'd instead entered the contiguous room, where she kept all her medicinal stuff "That tea with ginger will make you'll feel better in a couple minutes but take this with you, so you can prepare more during the day. You know you need to hydrate. I'm sure you're not in the mood for food but try preparing a garlic or onion soup and you'll get better sooner. Have some nuts as well".
He heard her voice so close and not seeing her was tremendously annoying, until he perceived her steps getting farther, back to the living room, where the older woman was.
"Thank you" she said, and the tone showed some shame "The tailor's wife is the worst clad, you know? That's why I dared coming in here at this hour; you're always well provided" yes, she was indeed trying to excuse her poor decision. Right then, he noticed she was taking a long sip of something "By the way, did I make myself look like a fool, said or did stupid things? I only remember up to a certain point".
"What do you remember?" Elia was teasing her, which unconsciously made him slightly smirk. He liked that tone, although it was not even close to the one she used with him, sometimes daring, others somewhat insolent or a mix of both when she felt like arousing him.
"Last thing I recall is being with you, Commander Erwin and your friend, Garrett…" that single comment ruined the soldier's good humor in an instant. To think about that moment, how that prick stared at her "…and of course, that nasty man who fortunately left soon after. He was just as rude as ever, but what can we possibly expect of a brute like that. You know dear, for once, I believe the rumors about him are true".
Tch, he retorted, with disdain. Levi couldn't care less of whatever that person thought about him, or the stupid rumors, and it didn't matter because she meant nothing to him at all; it was as simple as that. However, judging by the awkward silence coming from where they were, it wasn't the same for the healer.
"Don't talk like that, Gris. Not you" Levi sighed at the sadness in her voice. Why did she bother? He really didn't care what that lady thought of him "The Commander explained they had a rather long, busy day at the Capital" That fool, he said on the inside, shaking his head. He'd surely wanted to help him after seeing how mad he was, which shouldn't surprise him. Nothing got past him most of the time.
"Elia, dear. We've had difficult days too but terrible as they are, you cannot try to justify that kind of behavior and disrespect to others with it".
"I see your point but Gris, our difficult days are not the same. War or no war, hospitals will always have injured patients, people dying or rare sickness we may not know how to treat, but that's the reality of our human condition" she began to say, and he just stood there, crossing his arms, ready for one of her kind of speeches; Elia just had a way to express herself like no one else, for how selfless and kind she was "But I don't believe it's the same for them. These soldiers have seen more death than even us. Reports only show numbers, but I'm sure every single one of those hurt very deep because many of them hadn't known other family than their comrades, just like Ilva's friends, the Möser. Raised by their grandfather, who actually only kept them around to exploit them when they were still children. Both joined the militia when they came to age, but they didn't get along with people out of distrust, Luther above all. Until they met my sister, but she was that one exception for years. So, whenever you meet anyone who doesn't follow society conventional rules, try not to assume things; there might be a reason behind. One that doesn't make them evil".
He actually knew about the Möser being troublesome brats, but the way Elia's younger sister managed to get so close was remarkable. Just like she did with you, said Erwin's voice in his head and he got to envision that stupid, cheerful smile of his, way too well.
Levi looked at his hands thoughtfully, as silent as the older woman was, thinking about how the healer never ceased to awe him. Her mind worked so differently, not to mentioned how she saw through him without knowing any details of his life except a couple situations he shared about his mother or his friends. She accepted him just as he was, and yet now he felt strongly inclined to share more with her, to the point of being curious to hear what she may say about those intimate details of his life.
"What's important, is never at plain sight" it was Elia's voice again, and he knew it was her father who'd taught her that "Besides, appearances and first impressions can be deceitful, Gris".
"Well, I suppose you are right" the woman admitted, reluctantly. Then breathed out loud "It'd be so perfect if all men were like Commander Erwin, or better, like your friend. Whom, by the way, stared at you significantly last night… Just saying, in case you didn't notice, dear. Have you thought about giving him a chance? He seems to be a good lad" he could even picture her stupid, hopeful face when she said that.
His body got all tense again, only worse than five minutes ago. He hadn't care about her before, but she'd been earning his utter dislike with all this. As if he didn't know Erwin, or that asshole, were far better choices than him for her. But she's with you, his friend's voice returned, using that fucking smartass tone… She chose you, Levi.
"Nobody is perfect, Gris, and they're no exception. As for your question, no. Garrett is only my friend, like a little brother. Nothing more" Levi heard her moving around again, surely hinting that the conversation was over "You'd better go home and have a good rest. I need to leave now as well" she said, no trace of anger or any discomfort.
"Not the best way to spend my day off but I deserve it" the lady joked, her footsteps already moving towards the exit "I'll walk with you a couple blocks. I need to buy some onions at the market".
"Sure" Elia replied, and he knew she was very close. Her voice seemed to come from the kitchen, and for a second, he'd have crossed the hallway to go kiss her, but he still felt too bugged by the other woman "I'll be outside in a minute".
He heard her steps attentively. She was still in the kitchen, and then rushed to the main door but she suddenly stopped for a few seconds in the hallway. He wondered what was she doing, not imagining that the healer was staring at her door, wishing to at least see him for a second but then considered to better not; separating would never be easy, and it was better to be happy with whatever time they had for themselves. So, she kept on walking.
The soldier waited two minutes after the front door closed to walk out of her room, seeing the place was as neat as her room despite the mess they'd made around since he arrived.
He got inside the bathroom but preferred taking his daily shower once he got to the barracks; he needed clean clothes anyways. He'd just get a cup of tea before finishing tidying up her room to walk out of there. Nonetheless, as soon as he entered that space, something beside the teapot called his attention. Levi got closer and grabbed the small piece of paper on the kitchen table.
It was that same elegant yet not ostentatious handwriting he'd easily recognize.
.
I know you probably don't care what she thinks of you, but I do. Gris might be a little prejudice, but she means no harm. Still, I'm sorry about that.
I should arrive at home after 9 PM, so I'll see you then. However, regarding our last night conversation and how early your day starts tomorrow since you're leaving before noon, I'd rather you do have some rest. Please, Levi.
I'll be here once you get back to town.
Elia
PS. I hope you're not frowning right now because I'm not there to make amends for the bad time.
.
As usual, she was apologizing and this time for something she'd nothing to do with, so he pinched the bridge of his nose and breathed out as he sat by the kitchen table, waiting for the water to boil. It always exasperated him whenever she apologized unnecessarily although, there was something inside him feeling lighter after her words; he didn't know what exactly was, but he appreciated her worry over his feelings.
It was already dark when Elia finished her shift at the store, but she was glad it'd been a quiet day and that Tom had learnt so much from her. She'd been thinking about that while heading back home, just like every person around her did, until she caught sight of a couple officers from the Garrison crossing the street. She followed them with her eyes, remembering that an entire week had passed since they got to see each other. But when the men moved on the other sidewalk, she couldn't help but stop and blink hard twice, not ever imagining she'd find him at the other side of the street, as surprised as she was to meet like this.
The healer noticed Levi was wearing his regular uniform, cape and all, which meant he'd just came back that day. And despite he wasn't the only soldier walking by at that time, she could easily recognize that face and those eyes, just because she'd longed to see them and their owner.
Her legs wanted to run in his direction but getting carried away by her desire to embrace him right there wouldn't be such a good idea given the Captain's reserved nature, not to mention her hands were a little busy with the grocery bags.
Evidently, both seemed to be thinking alike because neither dared to approach the other, so Elia only half smiled from where she was and decided to continue her way when she saw his face turning to the side, apparently because he'd blushed at her gesture. And that told her he'd visit her later, once he was done with his business in that part of town.
Around four minutes later, she unexplainably sensed that special kind of invisible force that pulled her to him, like some sort of magnet that activated whenever he was around, which was odd in this case because they were several meters away. Unless… she thought, and out of curiosity, Elia took a quick look to her left and a sunny smile appeared on her face when she realized he'd been following the same route, only from afar, on the opposite sidewalk.
Stoic as ever, arms crossed and his gaze fixed upon the road ahead, yet something happened that made him glance in her direction, and now it was her turn to get face flushed. Elia averted her eyes at the intensity in his stare when their eyes met. She knew it was foolish to feel so self-conscious given the nights, and couple daylight hours together, but those amazing, steel-blue eyes were practically shouting his yearn of her and so it was impossible not to feel that unique warmth and energy all over her body; similar to the first time they touched time ago outside her old house, when they shook hands, but this was ten times more powerful. And it was a sensation that remained for the next ten minutes, without even looking at each other again but Elia could swear she felt him right beside her, no matter the distance in between.
By the time she reached the entrance of her building, she just walked in like every day, greeting the doorman, that was soon to leave, and then she went upstairs in absolute calm. She reached the door connecting to the roof but by the time she opened it, Elia noticed everything was the same; the potted plants she'd bought were on the small bench next to the entrance and under the small shed so the sun wouldn't reach them all day, the curtains were still lowered, and she never closed the windows entirely. And last but not least, there was no sign of anyone around, so she imagined he just accompanied her for a while and then went back to his business. Perhaps he'll come later... perhaps tomorrow, she said to herself, trying to be optimistic now that she was facing the door, and left the shopping bags on the floor to search for her key.
But out of the blue, somebody was right behind her, wrapping an arm around her neck and grabbed one of her wrists to immobilized her. She could feel that person's face getting close to her right ear as he held her tighter. She knew who this was, so besides smiling after snickering for herself, the woman touched the arm around her shoulders and stroke his hand with her fingertips.
She felt the loosened grip of that arm and the hand behind her back, so Elia took his hand to her cheek and place its palm against her skin, closing her eyes for a few seconds, joyous of his presence. Nevertheless, by the time the healer opened them and turned to see him, she noticed he was torn between wonder but also worry for her reaction.
"You said you'd be extremely cautious but here you are, not taking seriously the promise you made" he accused, or more accurately, reproved her "You lower your guard, you end up dead, Elia".
"Should I be surprised that the first thing you do after your arrival is to scold me?" she said, sighing both out of fun and disbelief and then shook her head "I'm sorry, but I couldn't react any other way. I knew it was you and around you it's when I feel the safest. And no, it has nothing to do with your skills, Levi" she explained and complained while turning to finally open the door of her house "I do remember my promise! Why do you think I never use the emergency stairs to get up here when I know it takes me a lot less time, and effort? I actually change my route daily, so no one follows me to find out where I live or simply mugs me".
As soon as she got it opened, the healer added nothing else and walked straight towards the kitchen, where she left the bags she'd been carrying before lighting the candlesticks around the house. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that he'd followed her inside and was now hanging his dark green cape on the clothes rack, then left the jacket and his cravat on one side of her couch, as quiet as she was. Grant him some time to suit himself and also think, her inner voice advised. So she went to the bathroom and after a couple minutes, when she came out, Elia saw him leaning on the wall to her left, right next to the kitchen door, arms crossed, and his face looking down, so she couldn't tell if his eyes were closed or not, all thanks to his raven hair, hiding that area.
"I suppose you had a point" he began to say, without moving anything but his mouth "It was a stupid experiment considering how close we've been of each other, so it's easy for you to recognize me. It'd happen the same to me".
Elia knew this was his own way to probably apologize. And despite his casual posture, his shoulders and clenched fists showed how pissed he'd been at himself to not foreseeing this in advance. Elia smiled a little sad and approached slowly, until standing right in front him and watched his arms fall to his sides, relaxing his body the instant she slipped her fingers through his hair, moving it to the back with nothing but gentleness and he looked inside her eyes, amazed.
"I understand what you tried to do but believe me when I tell you that I take care of myself" she said, now barely leaving space between them "You and all those soldiers were training and yet we both know that things rarely go the way they should. You could have been fighting the enemy all over again and I'd have learnt about it only after the outcome. In any case, it's pointless to live with that fear for your safety when the sanest thing to do is to trust you'll do your best to fulfill your duty and survive" she now cupped his face with both hands, their eyes never breaking contact "So trust me as I trust you, Levi" he closed his eyes for an instant and nodded once, solemn and determine to never forget this, so she smiled when he stared back at her, pleased to see a new kind of resolve in him "And now that we are good, do hug me because it has taken you long enough".
The healer felt his strong arms now surrounding her lower back, and she instantaneously leaned forward to kiss him with the same softness she was holding his face, enjoying his response and how he savored her lips; the smoothness of it was so divine. She smiled still in his mouth and his grip tightened, arching her back in his arms and following her while both experienced nothing but the ecstasy of being together.
Now, wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer to deepen the contact while looking for his tongue with hers, inviting and enticing him to do the same. Her heart began to pound harder when she sensed how that simple act delighted him because one of his hands went beneath her blouse instantly, to following the line of her spine, making her shiver. Elia desperately needed him and that's all she could think of.
"I doubt you have a minimum idea of how damn hard was to stay across the street when I saw you" he muttered, going to the base of her neck, where his breath scorched her skin and gave her the impression that her body was melting under his touch, very pleasantly "Thought I started hallucinating" that's how bad he'd wanted to see her.
"Oh, I know the feeling, Captain" she admitted, now holding his hand in hers, guiding him to her room "Although, despite patience can make us sometimes bitter, let's not forget its fruit is the sweetest" had she been looking to his face, she'd have liked the smirk on it.
Elia gently pushed him over her bed and crawled her way to stay on top of him. She pulled the shirt out of his pants and slid her hands under the fabric of it, mapping his chiseled, perfect muscles, and kissed him passionately, noting how her ardent touch and seduction excited him.
"Seeing that this was the longest, and tedious, week of my life, I might agree with you on that" he said while observing how she got rid of her pants and then straddled his hips firmly and started unbuttoning her blouse with deliberate calm and sensuality.
Delighted and horny, he moved his hand to stop the woman when she began to remove it; this image of her, shirt opened, her dark braid and some strands of hair falling over her left shoulder, where he partly had a view of the white brazier and the soft, bare skin of her chest, stomach as well as the curves of her waist… His memories didn't seem to make her justice, because she was far more beautiful than he remembered. The only inconvenient at this exact moment was how much his length hurt.
"I really wanted to play and explore you for a long while but I'm in no control right now. What you just did is killing me".
Oh, she knew! The healer was sitting right on top and even with his pants on, his hardness told her he was ready; it was clear in the way he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes in pain when she barely grazed that area with her hand. She leaned down to kiss him, but she stopped at the last second, using her lips to barely skim his.
"You're lucky I have no objection on going straight to the point, Captain Levi" she voiced, and he placed one of his hands behind her head and the other on her back to pull her closer and steal that tantalizing kiss of hers before switching positions.
The coitus was quick though that didn't mean it wasn't incredibly pleasant, because both had been dying to feel this physically attached. And by the time they were mostly recovered from their fast breathing and hammering hearts, Elia couldn't help laughing when she heard his stomach growl.
"Maybe we shouldn't have skipped dinner" she commented, looking to the ceiling because it was impossible to see his face, currently buried at the base of her neck while she distractedly stroked his lower back.
A couple minutes passed, and they only continued to enjoy the quietness inside that place, where they'd laid together once more and both still couldn't yet believe it, Levi specially.
"I wonder what your priorities are" he said as he got up from the bed and then walked to the chair in the corner, where she'd thrown her pants. He grabbed them and left them at the edge of the bed for her while he adjusted his own attires. The soldier turned to her and saw her zipping them back up, but then he walked towards the woman, diving into her eyes, very serious "Don't".
Elia had just started buttoning her blouse when he asked that, but she loved the way he'd come to stand in front of her, surrounding her naked waist with one arm, swift and precise, when he spoke.
"Nice words aren't my thing but seeing you like this… You have no idea how much I dig it".
That made her blush, and yet she adored that triumphant spark in his eyes, stating this was the reaction he'd hoped for. They curiously forgot about timidity in the middle of the act but little moments such as this made her so aware of herself; to realize he desired her this much was always so marveling, no matter the times they did this.
"I have no need of that, Levi. You may be the strongest man alive, but that doesn't mean you're a savage. In fact, I don't know why, but you just happen to know how to even touch me, so that's better than unnecessary nice words" she kissed him lightly and then grabbed his hand again, to take him to the kitchen, this time noticing the placid smile on his face.
Once there, Elia let go of his hand and saw him move directly to the sink, to wash his hands and then got close to the cupboard. You're hungry but tea comes before food, right Captain? she thought to herself, enjoying how comfortable he felt around her, in her own space, as though they'd known each other for a lot longer than what they actually did. With that idea in her mind, she peeled three potatoes she'd boiled that morning and seasoned them while she cooked a bit of bacon she'd just bought. He was setting the table in the meantime and took the teapot and cups for both while she served the food, adding some fresh bread.
"Good choice" she said once both sat and she smelled her tea, closing her eyes briefly "I've been in the mood for some cinnamon".
"To be honest, I wasn't inclined to give it a try at first. I thought it'd taste like tea but with dirt inside" he confessed, enjoying the flavor now "But I was incredibly wrong, and the smell is just as good. I'm always trying to get some whenever I have a chance to go buy my own shit".
"Oh, speaking of shit…" Elia began to say, trying to keep a serious face while he stared at her, horrified "…Guess what happened at the hospital".
"I really doubt you've gotten blind all of a sudden but just in case, we're about to eat, Elia" was all he said, crinkling his nose and flinched in disgust.
She half laughed but then nodded a couple times, comprehending what he thought she'd say.
"I'm sorry. Bad choice of words but it was shitty situation, like you'd say. I assure you though, it has nothing to do with what you fear" she explained and saw that face relieved "But let's eat and then I'll tell you".
The healer and the soldier enjoyed their dinner, exchanging three or four trivial things concerning their lives during the days away. Elia knew he couldn't be that specific about his job, so she rather let him share whatever he wanted.
"Supervising rookies isn't really my thing but I'll do it if it toughens them to survive. However, dealing with the new additions to the lines had been somewhat tiresome; there are two or three from the group that requested to be transferred that are total shitheads" he said after they finished their meal "The good part was that all got the warning when I disciplined a particularly overconfident moron that came all the way from Sina, so sure that he'd receive special treatment because of his contacts" he said and tilted his head, considering something "Well, he received special treatment, just not the one he wanted" he wasn't joking and yet she couldn't help a small smile, amused by his previous expression but this was serious so she composed herself and listened attentively "At least it's good that my own squad isn't giving further headaches to us. They've improved in many ways... most of them, I guess. Sasha and Connie are stupid ten-year-old, so regular methods don't work on them".
"Maybe approaching with the right motivation" she offered, trying to imagine the whole situation and the faces of those kids. It was surely difficult for Levi to understand some people were like this, unlike him, who was probably forced to grow up way too fast after his mother's passing. These kids he was talking about were just fifteen, so their lack of maturity wasn't such a rare thing "I mean, find out what drives them".
Levi seemed thoughtful for a moment, but then slightly nodded in understanding.
Sasha was always into food, and as for Connie, well, he could remind him of his mother's state to focus on the mission if needed.
"Isn't it idiotic when some things are too evident and yet you don't see them?" he sighed, and then looked at her in seriousness "What's the shitty situation you mentioned before?"
"I received my first warning two days ago" she said, with a smile full of irony but not worry, which confused the soldier.
"I get why that's shitty but not why you're smiling like you don't give a damn" he commented as he poured some more tea for both.
"It's not that I don't give a crap, but I'd do it again if I had to" he gave her that kind of look that said Please explain what this is about "A little boy came to the hospital, carrying his cat. The creature was involved in a fight with another cat, and one of the scratches got infected, so it had a notorious bump on his back, aside from fever and it was really weak. He said his family told him to get rid of it because it'd die anyways, but the kid refused to and went to us to get help. As expected, nobody paid attention to him and was told to leave because that place was only for humans" she was happy to see how he never feigned interest in anything. Levi might be harsh and scathing with his straightforwardness sometimes; after all, it was his shield against people and life itself. But to her, he was an incredible spontaneous human being, one who cared for others, she was certain of it "I asked for permission to assist him somehow but got a denial. But I couldn't just leave him like that, so I told the child to walk with me here. The cat would die so there was no harm on trying" she then explained what she did without going into that many details "The boy left and said he'd follow my indications, but I can't really know where to find him so I'm not sure if it worked".
"You didn't use their facilities, nor their equipment so why did they bitch about it and admonished you?" Levi muttered, watching her with that silent kind of admiration. To him, people who treated animals with respect showed such a different kind of compassion and appreciation for life. Just like Isabel always did.
"Fortunately, the warning was for abandoning my duties without consent" she shrugged.
"I see. You can shove that into their asses then because it isn't t such a big deal" he commented lightly, standing up and collected everything on the tray to go do the dishes "Whether the thing lived or died, I'm sure the brat won't forget that somebody tried to help him. That somebody cared" he said as he headed to the kitchen, but that last sentence truly warmed her heart.
An hour later, the healer went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and get ready for bed, but when she walked out and passed by the kitchen, she saw him having some more tea after being done with his task.
"You should take a look to my jacket. Check the pockets" he said, without moving from where he was standing.
That said, the healer went back to the living room, grabbed the garment from the rack, which was barely heavier than normal, and did as told. She immediately noticed two bulges, not too big but not too small either. She slid her hand inside one pocket and held a solid item, one that felt like a rock, but the surface was cold and smooth. She checked the other and it was the same, only shaped differently but same characteristics. When she got both out, Elia was absolutely flabbergasted at the things she was staring at.
"It'd be useful to have a couple here" Levi's voice came from behind and she turned to him, who was standing at the entrance of the hallway, leaning is left shoulder against the wall and looking to the objects in her hands.
"These are..." the healer stammered. She'd heard of this in the newspaper and some advertisement in the market, promising they'd arrive soon for everyone's availability. For a fair price of course.
Elia observed them again. Two stones that were apparently made out of pure crystal, a special kind of it that reflected the candle lights all over the place.
"Turn off the lights and see what happens" he said, and Elia could have sworn she'd seen a sparkle of fun in those breathtaking blue eyes.
Unable to restrain her excitement in a childish smile, she walked around the place and blew out the candles one by one, stunned at how both ores in each hand kept them from staying in the dark and changed to different kind of hues, a mix between a very light blue, to sometimes even pure white, as in brightness itself, when she stood in another angle of the house. And although it was somewhat dimmer, it was undoubtedly more stable than the flames and less dangerous.
Elia turned around to tell him how incredible this was, but her expressions had done that by themselves during the last ten minutes where he'd been observing her in absolute silence. Nevertheless, the soldier was no longer there.
"Just to avoid creating false expectations I'm letting you know that, what I'm about to do, is not part of their usefulness" she heard his voice right behind her now and felt his right arm getting around her waist, directly on her skin thanks to the opened blouse.
Elia smiled sideways as she turned her face to her left and found his there, waiting for her. She saw with clarity how he glimpsed at her lips for a second, letting her see what he wanted to do so she moved hers a little closer to find his and intoxicate herself in this, realizing that this was one of the sexiest ways to make out because of the position and his demanding way to hold her.
The healer unconsciously left one mineral onto the nearest table and then lifted that arm to surround his head, tangling her fingers in his black hair while they still kissed intensely; Levi was leaving her breathless with that devouring mouth of his, but this was so exhilarating and exquisite to feel. She covered his right arm with hers, asking him to tighten his grip because she wanted him even closer.
One thing led to another, until they found themselves back in her room, where he was now cornering her, half naked and so turned on after taking the brazier off; her panties and the unbuttoned blouse was all that remained from her clothes.
"Elia, drop that thing already, or toss it somewhere" he told, as he rubbed his shirtless torso against her, kissing her collarbone while his hands were firmly on her lower back, near her bum "Why are you still holding it?" he was truly surprised and annoyed that she wouldn't let go of the object. He wanted her hands all over him.
"I won't do that, no" she retorted, eyes closed and unable to quiet a moan when he pressed his groin to her center; even under the pants, she felt him all too well "You just gave me this... What if... it breaks?" she managed to articulate, in the middle of a kiss now.
"That thing it's harder than a rock" he insisted, going down to kiss the space between her breasts, enjoying how she trapped his hip with one of her legs.
But she shook her head, resisting while he was driving her crazy with his touch and yearning. It was a total bliss to be like this with him and that'd been mostly why she was still holding it.
However, she opened her eyes when she heard him grunt and steal the object from her hand. Levi was going to throw it, but Elia stopped him in the act, forcing him to look into her eyes.
"Whether you do that or break it, I'll get mad at you, Captain" she warned, her chest was going up and down fast but her gray eyes looked at him defiantly.
"And what are you going to do if I make you angry?" Levi provoked her, raising an eyebrow in the expectation for something he might like.
"Nothing" the healer stated, chin up and maintaining a steady eye contact.
"Huh? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" the soldier was so confused "That is the worst threat I've ever heard".
"Means that I won't do anything. I won't fight, insult you or anything, which means I won't touch you either" she specified, and saw him frown, not believing it "I'm serious, Levi" Well, to be honest, she didn't know if she could but there was no harm in trying.
"And all that for this insignificance?" he inquired, looking to his hand, infuriated and offended "I'll go sleep in the barracks then" he let go of her and bend to collect his belongings. He wasn't there just to have sex with her. He'd truly missed just being around her, but to say that when they'd been in the middle of it…it'd pissed him off. The magnificent way she touched him always moved something inside him, and he couldn't help his body aching for her. He'd dreamt of it for the past nights, so her threat actually worked; it'd be a torture to stay if she did that. He turned to her without looking to her face, placed the ore back in her hands, and headed out, fuming "Hope you enjoy their company".
"Levi" he heard her call when he reached the door, and he stopped but did nothing else. He couldn't even grasp her sadness because she'd kept her voice as steady as possible "It's not just a regular object to me. It's something you gave me. Not your first present but still a special one, and that makes it valuable. That's why I wanted to treasure it" Elia said in seriousness, never fearing to sometimes having to explain things to him; the man wasn't like most "I didn't put it away because I was too caught up in our moment and I didn't want to interrupt it".
Shocked, his eyes opened wide. She'd been that stubborn about it because I gave those to her? Still without turning in her direction, he clenched his teeth and looked down, a bit ashamed and feeling idiotic for his reaction and not understanding. But it was hard; he'd never been with anyone like this before and he didn't know how to behave. He closed his eyes, breathed in deep, and focus on something else, her words for example.
"When you say not the first thing I've given you…" he muttered, to distract himself and ease the rage against himself now "I don't remember giving you anything else before so, what do you mean by that?" he was beginning to learn the hard way to ask instead of assuming.
She wasn't responding but he sensed her moving around the room. He could hear she'd just placed the object on her bedside table and was now walking towards him. To stand right behind him, a meter away.
"You gave me your trust, your advice and support, you cared for the person I loved and admired the most, giving her part of your time when you didn't have to" she said, and he felt now her hand grabbing his. It felt warm and the tingling of her contact was so natural, and inviting "And all of our moments..." she was talking about their thing, also not knowing how to call it, just like him "And not just having each other physically… being with you means more than you could ever imagine, Levi" she entwined her fingers with his and sighed "If you want to go and cool down to come back tomorrow, it's ok. But just so you know, I have missed you".
He was speechless after hearing all that. She'd been meaning to cherish him as much as the glowing ores he'd given her… to look after him, no matter how tough, resilient, and indestructible he seemed; she considered him precious, and treated him this gently because of that.
But since he wasn't responding in any way, she gave up for that night and was now leaving his hand, but he didn't let her go. Instead, Levi dropped his clothes, turned, and closed the gap between them to kiss her, with all of his longing and desperation, feeling extra guilty for the sadness he noted in her beautiful eyes. He wanted and needed to worship her in every possible way. That's all he could think of right then.
"You shouldn't be smiling..." he felt already drunk in her embrace, her scent, and her softness. He'd said that jokingly, and the broad smile on her face assured him she understood. That helped him restore his peace of mind "I'm trying to find the best way to punish your insolence but if you continue to distract me like this, I might let it pass" Elia couldn't help a chuckle after stopping for a second to see his face, the fire in his eyes while he was holding her this way.
"I'll do my best, Captain" she promised, when he finally got rid of her blouse, to admire her the way she'd been staring to the minerals in the living room before making her his.
And now, several hours later and already dressed for work, Elia sneaked inside her room to look for her notebook; she'd been writing a little on it the previous night, when he explained all what he knew about the ores. She approached the nightstand and peered at the beautiful object closely, after retrieving what she'd been looking for inside the small drawer. She closed it very carefully and looked to her bed to make sure she hadn't disturbed his sleep; Levi was still there, laying under the sheets half-naked, face down and fast asleep while hugging his pillow, so peaceful. I'm sure you wouldn't believe me if I ever say how cute you look right now, Captain…Not you nor anybody, she said to herself.
Elia smiled fondly, keeping at bay her desire to stay beside him longer, happier to see he was finally having some rest; she knew he suffered from insomnia but the bags under his eyes were at least a lot better lately. Either way, he'd mentioned he didn't have to report until 10 AM and that meant he still had three hours before that so, she chose to allow him to sleep some more and continue her morning routine. She'd already tidied the place up, after folding his clothes and leaving them on the chair in the corner of her room, except of course for the cape, still hanging in the coatrack. She needed now her regular breakfast, oatmeal, a fruit and a cup of tea before leaving for work.
By the time she finished, the healer immediately carried her bowl, the empty cup, and rest of stuff to put them in the sink. But the cleaning got interrupted by two knocks on her front door that startled her.
As soon as she opened, she greeted the person there, although the timing wasn't the best because Levi was there and she hoped not having another episode like the one from a week ago; if so, she'd tell her they were seeing each other, which she really didn't want to. Their relationship was quite recent, and it didn't feel right to say it was this or that when they hadn't discussed it; she actually liked not putting a name to it.
Elia sighed on the inside, knowing she could never be inconsiderate to the older woman, who by the way, seemed considerably agitated.
As far as she knew, her mentor should be leaving at 8 AM with Dr. Nowak, to be part of the team in Sina that would be running test on the rescued children from the Underground City, to determine if they needed special care of any kind before being sent to the improved orphanage inside Wall Rose.
"Elia, dear" the older nurse greeted her, and she could tell by the sound of her voice that her mouth was dry "I'm so lucky I managed to find you in time" she saw her rubbing her lower back with one hand "I'm sorry to bother you this early again but I'm sure you remember I'll be out for a few days now "Elia nodded "Well, in short, I brought home my colleague's uniform during my shift last night and I was wondering if you'd mind to hand that back to her today, please. I'm sure she'll need it".
"Sure, Gris" the healer nodded a couple times, receiving the bag her friend was handing to her "You look super tired. Do you want to come in and eat or drink something?"
The healer was certain this would be a rather short visit but still, she discreetly looked to the hallway, relieved to see she'd closed the door to her bedroom.
"I think I have a couple minutes, so I'll accept just something for my thirst" Griselda said and followed her inside, taking a seat in the dining table. Elia was standing next to where she'd probably been eating before.
"Tea, a glass of water, lemonade. Which one do you prefer, Gris?" the healer inquired.
"Just water, please" she smiled, running her hand across her forehead, realizing she was a little sweaty "Umm, can I use your bathroom, dear?"
"Sure. You shouldn't ask" Elia said, and Griselda followed her through the hallway, clueless and unaware that her protegee was begging internally that she didn't make much noise.
The older nurse washed her face and dried it insistently with the small towel close at hand. She then checked her appearance in the mirror right in front of her, glad to notice it was better. However, when she contemplated her own bulging eyes there, she couldn't help but think about Elia when she opened the door.
Was it her idea or did the girl look different, like younger? She didn't know for sure, but aside from the visible surprise to see her there, which was odd considering it wasn't the first time, the healer had the same unusual glow she glimpsed in her eyes last week, when she arrived at the hospital on Monday morning.
Griselda headed back to the dining room, oblivious to what happened inside those walls and when she passed by the kitchen, she saw the girl still in there, doing the dishes so she wasn't going to interrupt her. Back in the living room, the glass of water was waiting for her onto the table. She took a small sip, then gulped most of the rest, enjoying that refreshing sensation going down her throat; all while looking around the place absentmindedly. It was then that she discovered something really interesting as she glanced over Elia's bookshelf, and the aforementioned had just returned, right on time.
"Where did you get it, dear?" Griselda asked, walking towards it, to take a better view of the object, without imagining that there was another one in Elia's room right now, next to the person who brought them.
"Oh, umm, I got it from a street vendor in the market at the other side of the wall" she spoke a little too quickly, but Griselda was so focus on the thing that she didn't notice her nervousness. Elia knew Levi wasn't joking when he said he simply took them as self-payment for being the ones who discovered the place where there were tons of it, so she shouldn't feel guilty "He said more would be arriving sometime soon".
She didn't like to lie, but she also didn't want to get Levi in trouble, if that was even possible.
"I hope they do!" Griselda commented, turning the object in her hands to take one last look, and then put it back where it'd been "The few that got here were practically sold out almost immediately, because they weren't expensive".
"I'm glad the merchants are no longer taking advantage of people with this" she smiled hopeful for this new administration "They're incredibly useful to illuminate at night, and much safer than candles" she shared, saving for herself the beautiful effect they had under the moonlight because of their shape and the rare material.
"Yes, me too. And I'm glad the new management is doing things differently. Don't know if you heard but this whole business about having a decent place for orphans was the Queen's idea" the older woman said and returned to drink the rest of the water while Elia continued to stare at the object with certain fondness.
"Indeed, I heard that too" she conveyed before taking the empty glass in her hand and head back to her kitchen, thinking about how important that was to Levi. He'd mentioned he even attended that meeting at the Capital the day he left Trost, to support the project. And despite several bureaucrats tried to leave aside the people in the Underground City, Queen Historia refused. After that, his eyes actually showed respect whenever they mentioned their ruler.
Alone again in the living room, the older woman thought best to leave the house with Elia, like they usually did. So, she waited there and continued to look at the object but then, her gaze got distracted by something to her left, something unexpected that'd left her open-mouthed and wide-eyed.
She dared turning her head to look to the hallway, and only then noticed the closed door: Elia's bedroom. And for all she knew, the young woman always stated it was better to leave them open in order to air them during the day, especially when no one was inside. Therefore, the only logical explanation for the cape she'd just seen on the clothes rack, plus this other detail, was that there was somebody in there, probably still sleeping. She moved close enough to smell the thing, and the scent coming from it was undoubtedly from a man; a clean male at least, because his smell was mixed with soap and black tea, strangely familiar.
Oh my! She moved away from it and felt the heat coming up her face, feeling silly because she had nothing to do with it but still, it wasn't easy to accept it. Back in her time, people normally got married before living like this. You said so yourself… Back in your time, she reminded herself, understanding Elia's actions a little better. After all she'd been through, the horrible way she lost everyone she loved… the girl surely decided to better live without fear. Either way, she already knew she wasn't the kind of person that cared whatever people might say. The negative part is that she was precisely, dating an officer, so the chances of losing him too were great and that worried her.
"Gris?" she suddenly heard Elia's voice and she was just a couple steps away. The healer was putting her dark brown jacket on, almost ready to step outside "Are you alright? You seem feverish" she was truly concerned, fortuitously, not guessing the real answer.
"No, no, dear" she said hurriedly, walking straight to the door to be on her way. The cool morning breeze would take away her blush in no time "I'm fine. Just a little tired, but I better be going so I don't have to run again" the older nurse couldn't help but giggled.
"Please, take care" Elia asked, waving at her under the doorframe "I'll see you on Friday" she said before closing.
Griselda Green kept on walking towards the building's entrance, still somewhat face flushed but her previous alarm was almost gone.
It was then she made a mental note not to show up there anytime soon or unannounced; Elia'd never leave her out, she was too polite so the best would be to stay away. Unless she invited her for a special occasion or something. Besides, she wasn't so eager to turn into a third wheel or make Elia uncomfortable, as well as her… her... How should I call him? she wondered, scratching her crown nervously. Suitor? Yes, I suppose that's the right word, but it didn't really matter since Elia hadn't said anything about it, so she assumed this was probably recent, and some people took their time to label whatever they had. But if they were having this kind of relationship already… she was certain the man would wed her at some point; after all, an honorable man such as him wouldn't just want to play around, so that'd be a matter of time.
Time…she thought, hoping he'd live for many years, but she wouldn't worry about that; Elia must have known the risks well enough before having this kind of romance with Commander Erwin. She knew it was him because the couple times she'd been in his presence, she'd partly sensed that smell in the air. Not to mention the emblem at the back of that cape were undeniably the Wings of Freedom.
I was going to post it yesterday, but I was too hyped up by the season premiere, the new OP and ED songs.
Thanks for reading!
Namárië
