𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 | 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐱 𝐎𝐂

This ravaged village is my heart

Without overthinking it too much, I put on my nightgown, but only once outside my room, I realized that perhaps it would be quite inappropriate. After all, Levi was my superior.

Who cares. Like he gives a shit about what I'm wearing...

I knocked, not knowing what to expect behind that massive door or whether to even expect something. He probably would like to be left alone... But I didn't want to give up right away, so I knocked again. But nothing. Again, but still nothing. One last time, then I swear to God I'll-

Just as I was about to knock again, the door swung open, revealing a figure completely immersed in the gloom of the room behind it. Levi.

There he was. His hair was untidy and still wet - perhaps he had just gotten out of the shower -, his eyes tired, his jaw set, his torso barely illuminated by the dim hallway lights, his muscles tense, one hand on the door and the other pressed on a gauze on his chest. Lower he was wearing his pajama pants only, carefully shortened on one leg, enough to reveal a tight bandage around his ankle.

A view that could break your heart as much as take your breath away.

Literally. I was suddenly unable to spell a single word or even remember why I was there in the first place. Luckily, Levi relieved me of the embarrassment of taking the first step, just calling me by my name:

"Daphne." The low pitch of his voice seemed to resonate through the space all around us, filling it inch by inch. And I swear I had even felt it running within my bones.

Six letters and I was already lightheaded.

He hesitated to add more, waiting for my reply. All I could do was to faintly open my mouth, unable to articulate anything reasonable.

"What are you doing here? You should be resting by now."

I don't know what was wrong with me at that moment, but I couldn't stop staring at him. To be more specific, I couldn't take my eyes off his chiseled chest, and off whatever he was hiding under that gauze. I unconsciously advanced and when I was only a few inches away from him, I took his hand, moving it from his skin to reveal a deep wound.

"Levi..."

Overstepping the doorframe, I was now completely inside the room. Levi sized the moment to close the door behind my back with his free hand and at that point, we were alone in the darkness, just a step away from each other.

I could sense his eyes looming over me as I inspected his wound.

"Levi, this looks bad... Let me help you. It's the least I can do for you after yesterday... and today too actually..."

"I've already told you that surviving the expedition would be enough. We're even." he said, grabbing me softly by the wrist. I sought his gaze in the gloom and stepping forward, I said with a thread of voice:

"Let me just help you." He let go of my wrist and as he turned his back on me, he said:

"The medical kit is in the other room". Therefore, I followed him into the darkness of what looked like an office, his office. He opened a door at the end of the room, on the right side, revealing his bedroom.

Everything was exactly as I expected it to be: simple and extremely neat.

The room was decorated with nothing more than the essential. A wooden headboard was placed against the wall on my left, at its sides two small night tables, and in front of it, about a meter away, stood a large double door wardrobe. To my right a completely bare wall with a solid wood door right in the center. His bathroom, I thought.