Levi didn't sleep.
He never did when danger lurked so close, but tonight, there was another reason. Beatrice.
Her breathing had steadied, but she was still too warm. His grip on her had been firm before, but now, with her weight pressed against him, he could feel every slight tremor in her body. It made something unspoken coil in his chest—something dangerous, something he couldn't afford.
He tsked quietly, scowling down at her. "Tch. You're burning up."
Beatrice didn't respond, her fingers still loosely curled against his shirt.
Levi's jaw tightened. Idiot. He should've forced her to stay awake. She was losing too much blood.
His mind was already calculating their next move. By sunrise, they needed to be gone. The men hunting them weren't amateurs. They'd realize soon enough that Levi and Beatrice had vanished and would double their search efforts.
Levi exhaled slowly, his breath controlled, and measured. His body ached from the run, but he ignored it, his focus locked on the distant sounds of the forest. The wind whispered through the trees, rustling leaves, masking the faint footsteps of their pursuers.
They were getting closer again.
Beatrice stirred against him, a small sigh escaping her lips.
Levi's brows drew together. His grip on her arm tightened slightly, but his voice remained low, even. "Oi, don't go unconscious on me."
She shifted slightly, her eyes fluttering open just enough to meet his gaze. There was a tired smirk on her lips. "Bossy as ever."
Levi clicked his tongue.
Her smirk faltered as she took in the hardened lines of his face. His storm-grey eyes were sharp as ever, but there was something else in them—something unreadable.
She tried to move, but Levi was faster, pinning her gently against the hollow of the tree before she could strain herself. His grip was firm but careful.
"Don't be an idiot," he muttered. "You've already lost too much blood."
Beatrice swallowed, her throat dry. His hands were rough and calloused, but they held her steady in a way that made her feel like she wouldn't fall—even if everything else around them was crumbling.
"I'm fine, Levi," she said softly.
His expression didn't change, but the muscle in his jaw flexed. "No, you're not."
Her breath hitched. It wasn't the words themselves that made her chest tighten—it was the way he said them. Low. Almost… quiet.
Levi didn't waste words. He never did. So when he spoke, it meant something.
Silence stretched between them, thick with something unspoken.
Beatrice wanted to say something—to tease him, to push him, to break through that damn tension. But before she could, Levi's hand moved.
Slow. Precise.
His fingers brushed against her temple, tracing the drying blood there. His touch was barely there, featherlight. His brows furrowed deeper.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. Then, before she could process it, he tore off the sleeve of his uniform, the fabric still warm from his body heat.
"Levi, you don't have to—"
"Shut up," he interrupted, his voice carrying no malice, just sheer exasperation. "Just hold still."
She did.
Levi worked quickly, using the fabric to wipe away the worst of the blood before pressing it against her wound. His movements were efficient, controlled—but his grip lingered, just for a second longer than necessary.
Beatrice watched him carefully. His expression remained impassive, but there was something beneath the surface.
Something she wasn't sure he even realized was there.
He tied the fabric securely around her head, pulling back just slightly.
"Better?" he asked.
Beatrice blinked up at him.
It was a simple question. A small thing. But coming from him, it felt… different.
She nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."
Levi exhaled through his nose and leaned back slightly, creating distance between them again. It was brief, but Beatrice had felt it—that moment of hesitation.
That moment where Levi Ackerman, the untouchable, unshakable warrior, had cared.
"Get up," he ordered, already shifting to move. "We're leaving."
Beatrice smirked. "Thought you said I needed to rest?"
Levi shot her a sharp look. Despite everything, she laughed.
Levi rolled his eyes, but there was the slightest twitch at the corner of his lips before he turned away.
Beatrice didn't miss it.
And as she took his outstretched hand and let him pull her up, she knew—this wasn't over.